Rise of the Black Mesa
by TheLegends4
Summary: 2 years after eliminating the Twilight from Hyrule, Link believes his calling as the Hero of Time is officially over. But when a group of evil Mages threaten to once again consume Hyrule in darkness, he must return to his life as a hero and stop this menace before it's too late... Rated T for violence, VERY brief sexual conduct (Possible Link x Zelda), and mild language.
1. Prologue

_THE LEGEND OF ZELDA_

**_RISE OF THE BLACK MESA_**

**PROLOGUE**

_It was a darkness unlike any other._

_Shrouding the land in a cloud of evil, the darkness corrupted all living creatures that came in contact with it, turning them into mere spirits and forcing them to roam the earth as such. It was so dark, so cruel, so utterly deathly, that those who were inside the darkness and outside began to hate it more and more as it slowly spread to other areas of the planet, threatening to consume everything._

_But it failed._

_As if by some divine miracle, a young farm boy bearing a sacred emblem on his right hand stood up and fought the darkness. He returned the light to the world, and then continued his mission by searching for the source of such horrid darkness. Once found, he entered what appeared to be a portal and was taken to the source of the darkness, a place known to few as the Twilight Realm. There, he fought and killed the man responsible for the darkness, only to find the man to be a servant of a much greater power. And so he returned to Hyrule to find and end the true villain's reign._

_The battle was long and hard. Wielding the legendary Master Sword, the boy fought the dark lord - who was master over the darkness - and eventually killed him, sealing him away in a black tomb between dimensions and causing his spirit to be constantly haunted by those who served him faithfully._

_Since then, there has been peace in Hyrule. The darkness never returned, and there was no fear of a great warlock taking power, since none existed._

_But, just because a great evil was defeated and a darkness from another dimension was eliminated, doesn't mean that evil itself is not vanquished..._

**_Set 2 years after The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. _**

**_I own nothing._**


	2. Chapter 1: The Beginnings

It was rather dark outside. The sand was slowly shifting around in the cool desert breeze. To the north, a small bulblin fortress was being lit up by torches, so as to wipe out the darkness of the night. Even the archers in the high towers had torches lit in their posts, for they and their brethren were a species with horrible night vision. In the center of the open fortress, a small number of bulblins were feasting on a great boar that had just recently died. The sound of loud munching and bulblin cries could be heard all throughout the fortress, which became rather annoying to some of the archers surrounding the place. These archers were picky, and did not like annoying sounds getting into their ears. It proved to be difficult for them to concentrate on their own duties, and they wished they could just shoot those noisy food whores and be done with it. But such an action was treason, according to bulblin law.

One archer, atop a tower positioned at the very front of the fortress, was managing to stay alert, his ears focused on the sounds of the night, eyes trained on the desert. It was well into the night now, and soon he would need someone to take his shift so he could rest. As he prepared to leave his post, however, he caught the sight of a few hooded figures moving slowly through the desert sands towards them. He wiped his eyes to see if they were playing tricks on him, but the figures were still there.

And they were still walking towards the fortress.

The archer, realizing the figures were no bulblins, sent out a cry to the others, as if to tell them that enemies were approaching. Instantly, all of the bulblins in the fortress were on their feet, some with bows ready to fire, others armed with clubs and hidden in strategic spots throughout the fortress. The archer in the front raised his hand, preparing to give the signal for the archers to fire and the riders to charge. But before he could make the signal, he fell to the ground from his tower, dead. The bulblins looked around to see what had killed their comrade, only to be shot down themselves. Soon more and more bulblins were falling to the ground, but by what they didn't know.

The figures continued to walk forward, their leader firing large blasts of magic at the bulblins so as to clear their path. When they reached the fortress gates, the leader of the group held out his hand, forming a ball of fire, which caught onto the wooden gates and began to burn. As the gates burned, the remaining bulblins rounded the corners, clubs at the ready. On either side, two of the figures drew their swords and cut down every bulblin that attacked them. Barely a minute had passed when each bulblin attacker was on the ground, bleeding from deep wounds and staining the sand red.

Once the gates were burned down, the figures proceeded to the great building before them: the Arbiter's Grounds.

* * *

The Sages, great beings of the light who protected all that was good, were watching the destroyed bulblin fortress burn slowly to the ground, completely unaware of the source of such an attack. Believing that someone was trying to enter the Grounds, the Sages held their guard, waiting for the intruder to show their face.

It wasn't long before a group of figures entered their Chamber, each holding a strange metal ball in their hands. There were seven of them in total, and each one of them was hooded. Sensing the evil within them, the Sage of Light began to speak.

"What evil has entered our Chamber, the Chamber of the Sages?"

One of the figures, the leader, looked up at the Sage, his eyes fixed on the being that had spoken to them.

"You have misjudged, Sage." His voice was that of poison. "This Chamber is no longer for the Sages. It now belongs to the members of the Black Mesa."

"The Black Mesa?" The Sage of Fire asked. He sounded quite unamused and relaxed, but he remained cautious and alert.

"Yes, Sage." The leader responded, his tone unchanged. "The Black Mesa is a group of powerful Mages that has been formed with one desire: power."

"You will find no power here, devil." The Sage of Light was growing impatient now. "Nor will you find it anywhere else. Now leave, or face the wrath of the Sages who protect this land!"

The leader stood there, waiting for the Sages to attack them. When they did not, he smiled, pocketing the metal ball in his hand. Then, without warning, he shot a blast of dark magic at one of the Sages, hoping for a hit. The targeted Sage deflected the magic back at the leader, who absorbed it with ease.

"You will need to do much better than that to kill any one of us, Black Mesa." The Sage of Shadow said defiantly.

The leader looked around to his comrades, who nodded in agreement with the Sage. He pulled the ball out of his pocket, then turned to the Sages and held the ball out in front of him. His comrades followed his action, forming a circle of evil and beginning the chanting of a dark incantation. As they chanted, a ball of shadows formed around them, growing to an immense size before releasing five waves of magic, one to each Sage. The Sages tried desperately to defend themselves against the magic, but they were soon forced to retreat as the magic grew stronger.

As the magic subsided, the Black Mesa looked up at the Sages, only to find they had disappeared. The leader smiled, then began to laugh maniacally. His comrades followed after him, their laughter echoing throughout the Grounds.

* * *

Daylight was seeping through the window, filling the small treehouse with warmth and light. Next to the window, a young man was just waking up from a long night of sleep. He stretched his arms, yawned, then stood up and climbed down a small set of ladders to his living room.

When he touched down on the main floor, he heard a slight crinkling sound. Looking down, he realized he'd just stepped on an envelope. He picked it up, opened it, and began to read.

_Link,_

_If you are reading this, don't stop. This is a very important matter that I wish to discuss with you._

_As you should very well know, this year marks the 25th annual Hyrule Celebration. On such a special occasion, I have received a letter from Princess Zelda herself, which states that I am to send a special gift from Ordon to CastleTown. Unfortunately, I cannot attend this Celebration since my wife is having another child any day now. Therefore, I must ask you to take the gift in my stead. _

_The Celebration begins tonight, so I expect you to leave on time with the gift. I will drop it off at your house before you go. Thank you, my friend._

_-Rusl_

Link read the letter over and over, letting the information soak itself into his brain. When he finally registered the information into his slowly waking mind, he folded up the letter, put it back in the envelope, then placed the letter on a shelf to his left. Yawning once more, he opened his front door and walked outside. He climbed down the ladder that led up to his house, then turned to leave. He had only taken one step away from his house when he heard a loud "whoop!".

Letting his heroic instincts take over, he figured someone was in danger and ran for the village. When he entered, though, he realized that the ranch owner, Fado, was simply helping with decorations for the Celebration, and had accidentally dropped a banner that stretched from the shop to a nearby tree. Breathing a sigh of relief, he picked up the banner and walked up to the shop, where Fado was waiting on the roof.

"Need a hand there, Fado?" Link chuckled as he handed the banner to Fado.

"Thanks, Link." Fado tied the banner to the roof, then looked at it lengthwise. Satisfied, he climbed down from the shop and walked up to Link.

"Sorry 'bout that, Link. I didn't tie it correctly at first." Fado said. "But now it's up, and we can move on."

"What else is there to do?" Link asked. He looked around the village as they walked up towards the ranch, noticing that it was covered in banners.

"Well, some o' the kids wanted to have some sort of "game central", or whatever Talo called it." Fado scratched his head. "Somethin' to keep 'em busy while the adults had their share of the Celebration. I think the Mayor wants to have them up by the ranch, just to give the kids some space to play." Link laughed at the thought.

Upon entering the ranch, Fado went off to help with the building of one of the games. There were already some large games being set up, including a shooting range and an obstacle course. As Link admired the diversity of games, he noticed a small booth moving by itself up to the ranch entrance. He circled around to find the source of the movement, only to see Malo pushing the booth by himself.

"What is this for?" Link asked quizzically.

"Well, until I can get enough money to establish another shop here in Ordon," Malo said. "I'm going to run this place by myself. I'll be charging 10 rupees per person for entry, and another 5 rupees for re-entry. It's a simple procedure, not to mention a very strategic one."

"Uh-huh." Link rolled his eyes, trying to see how an admittance booth would be necessary for the Celebration. He helped Malo station his booth, then left him to his little business.

He didn't go too far from the booth when he heard his name being called. He whirled around to find Bo, who was the Mayor of Ordon, motioning for him to come down. Link quietly walked down to where Bo was standing, then asked what he wanted.

"We need to get you ready for the CastleTown Celebration. I've already got something in mind for you. Come inside."

Link followed Bo into his house, where he saw Ilia putting up some small decorations around the living room. Bo led him into the wrestling arena at the back of the house, where he brought out a large, heavy chest and placed it in the center of the arena.

"It's all yours, Link."

Link opened the chest to find a set of golden armor sitting on top of a reddish tunic. He pulled the armor out and looked at it quizzically.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked.

"Well, it took some coaxing, but I managed to buy it off of Malo, of all people. He had it priced for about 600 rupees, which is hard to come by around here. I eventually gave in and said he could run the game area if he gave the suit to me for free."

"Did he?"

"Well, no. I ended up placing about 100 rupees in front of him, which he in turn said that it would all go towards his shop. I swear that kid's gonna become an amazing businessman if you ask me. So, how do you like it?"

"It looks..." Link searched his mind for the right word to use. "royal."

"Well, it's designed that way. But it looks good, though, right?"

"Yeah!" Link held up the red tunic to his body and looked in a nearby mirror, trying to see how well it would fit.

"Right. Well, you get that ready to leave with you tonight. I'm going to check up on Rusl and Uli."

As Bo exited the house, Link placed the armor back in the chest it was in, mounted it on his shoulder and walked toward the door. Before he got to the door, though, Ilia walked down to see him off.

"Don't forget to show me the armor before you leave, OK?" Ilia pleaded.

"Alright." Link chuckled. "You'll be the first one to see it, if the kids don't catch me first."

At this, Ilia laughed, then watched as Link left the house and walked towards his own. When he turned the corner into his front yard, she returned to her house and went right back to decorations.


	3. Chapter 2: The Baby Is Born

Night was falling, and Link was slipping his belt through the red tunic for his armor when he heard a knock at his door. He looked at the clock mounted on his wall.

8:30pm.

_Who would be at the door at THIS time of the day?_

Then he remembered: Rusl was supposed to drop something off at his house.

He got up, slipped his belt through one more loop and went to the door. Sure enough, there was Rusl, a small chest in his hands.

"I trust you're almost ready." Rusl stated. He scanned Link's armor, noticing that he was still in the process of putting it on. The entire top half of the armor was still sitting in the chest behind Link.

"Well," Link said, scratching his head. "Armor isn't all that easy to put on. It's rather complicated, actually. What's that?" He pointed to the chest in Rusl's hands.

"This is the gift for the Celebration. It's some sort of instrument that I found while hunting. An ocarina, I believe, though I'm not quite sure why it was in the woods. It works beautifully though, that's the good news."

Link stared at the chest, wondering about its contents. He had never seen an ocarina before, much less play one. Thanking Rusl, he took the chest and shut the door behind him. He set the chest on the floor next to him and continued to put on his armor. As he fitted the chestplate to his torso, he started to wonder what the ocarina looked like. He knew he'd get a chance later, but his curiosity was becoming unbearable. Finished with the chestplate, he moved on to his gauntlets, which were simply taken from his old green tunic, the same one that he used on his adventure nearly 2 years ago. While he strapped the golden guards to his gloves, he thought he could hear a voice nearby. He looked outside his door, only to find the yard empty. Shrugging, he went back to finishing with his gauntlets.

As he was putting the red hat on his head, he heard the voice again, this time much louder. He went back to the door, but there was no one there. Suddenly struck with fear, he grabbed the sword on his wall and began to walk slowly around his house. When he reached the basement ladder, he heard the voice a third time, but this time, he could hear what it was saying.

_"Hero of Time... Come to me... Hero..."_

Link realized the voice was coming from his living room now, and slowly he made his way to where the voice was heard. Strangely enough, the voice now repeated the words through the small chest on the floor. His eyes widened.

_What on earth is in that thing?_

He picked up the chest and held it in front of him. It was glowing, but faintly. He opened the chest and looked inside to find that the ocarina was the source of the glowing... and the voice.

_Surely this is no ordinary ocarina._

_"Hero..."_

"Hello?" Link was getting scared now. Here he was, holding a strange, glowing ocarina that was talking to him. For some strange reason, though, it looked familiar.

_"Hero... I am the Ocarina of Time."_

Link nearly dropped the instrument on the ground. Regaining his calm demeanor, he scanned the Ocarina's surface to find where on the instrument the voice was coming from. Then his eyes went to the golden ring around the mouthpiece, and that's when his heart skipped a beat.

The insignia of the Royal Family, the Triforce, was located on the ring. By seeing this, he knew this was the real Ocarina of Time. But how did he know?

_"Hero... You may have defeated the darkness that surrounded this land, but you have not destroyed it. There are others who are looking to gain power here..._

"Others?" Link's voice quivered slightly. "What others?"

_"They are a group of evil Mages whose power defies even Ganondorf. They are the Black Mesa."_

Link gasped. He had heard of the group before, shortly after his journey had ended. His mind flashed back to the moment he heard about it, and he recalled every little detail. He was sitting with Rusl and three other friends, having a conversation about other strange occurences that had begun to occur after Ganondorf was slain. These were minor occurences, though. It was nothing the Princess herself couldn't handle. As they talked, Telma, the bartender, brought some drinks over to their table and sat down.

"You know," she said matter-of-factly. "Out of all the crazy things I've heard 'round here, the stuff you guys tell are some of the dumbest things I've heard in my life."

"Except for the fact that they're all really happening, yeah?" Ashei, a girl who was trained as a knight and lethal in many forms of combat, was the one who had spoken.

"True." Shad, a young man with a taste for knowledge and history, fixed his glasses and continued. "However, the one that gets me is the sudden rumor of a strange group of Mages heading towards Hyrule."

"Mages?" Link asked. "I didn't know those existed anymore. You sure?"

Shad opened his book and flipped through the pages.

"Yes, but not just any Mages." Shad said with a slight quivering voice. "These Mages call themselves the Black Mesa."

Everyone gasped. No one had said anything of the Black Mesa for two hundred years, not since they had been defeated by the Hero of Time shortly after Ganondorf had been banished to the Dark Realm by the six sages.

* * *

Slowly, Link's mind returned to the present, but he was still thinking about the Mesa. Quickly he turned to the Ocarina again, hoping for more answers. But the Ocarina had gone silent.

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door.

He instantly realized what the knock meant, and he quickly strapped his sword to his back. Then he placed the Ocarina back in the chest, picked it and the golden crown for the armor up, grabbed his shield and went to the door. When he answered, Bo was there, panting.

"Am I going to be late?" Link asked.

"No, no. You've..." He stopped to catch his breath. "You've got plenty of time. The CastleTown Celebration doesn't start until midnight. It's..." He stopped again. "It's Uli. She's having her baby."

Without thinking, he threw the crown over his head, pocketed the Ocarina's chest and jumped down, not worrying about Bo.

"Hey!" Bo gasped. "Slow down! I'm not that young anymore!"

As he ran, Link's thoughts of the Black Mesa drifted from his head. He was too happy for Rusl's family to worry about an evil that possibly threatened Hyrule. As he neared Rusl's house, he noticed the door was open, and every villager was there, waiting for Rusl's third child to be born. He entered the house, a big smile on his face, and moved over to stand next to Ilia. She too had a smile, and it seemed to be somewhat bigger than Link's, or anyone's for that matter.

"You look good." Ilia said as she observed Link's armor, its golden surface reflecting the dim torchlight in the house.

"Thanks." Link said. "So, how close is the baby?"

"Real close. I think it's just about here."

"OK, Uli," Rusl said calmly to his wife. "One more push, I think it's almost there."

Uli screamed as she pushed her hardest, Rusl at the end of the bed, ready to catch the baby. When it finally did come out, the house was filled with cheers and "congratulations", which echoed out the door and into the village. Rusl joyfully exclaimed that the baby was a boy, then moved to clean him up. Colin and his two-year-old sister, Samantha, ran over to their mother and hugged her, then watched as their father finally laid the baby in her arms. Almost immediately, several of the villagers began throwing out names. Uli smiled, and then began to speak. The room went silent.

"I think," Uli said. "I want his name to be... Link."

Link's eyes widened. Never before had anyone named their child after him, and to suddenly have it happen before his eyes almost made him cry tears of joy. Despite having self-trained his eyes to not do such a thing, it became almost unbearable as his eyes began to water. He held back his tears as long as possible, and then spoke.

"I... I'm honored, Uli."

Rusl walked over and patted him on the back.

"Well, you'll make a fine teacher for him." He said.

"What?" Link was astonished. Rusl was already teaching his oldest child, Colin, and Talo. Link helped quite a bit, though, but Rusl was the main influence. Now, not only was he given the honor of having a baby named after him, but he was now being asked to one day be this baby's teacher. "Thank you" was all he could say as he tried to get over the shock. It didn't take long, however, when Bo looked at the clock and turned to Link.

"Link, you've got to go! The Celebration is starting in a couple hours!"

Link jumped at the sound of Bo's voice. He hadn't heard him come into the house, let alone seen him since hearing the news of the approaching baby. Remembering he was to present the Ocarina to the Royal Family that same night, he quickly moved through the crowd of people to the door, then ran the rest of the way to his house, Ilia silently trailing after him.

* * *

As Link prepared his horse, Epona, for the trip to CastleTown, he heard light footsteps approaching from behind him. He turned around to see Ilia walking towards him. Link smiled as he pulled the small chest from his pouch and put it inside a bag strapped to Epona's saddle.

"I just came to say good-bye." Ilia said shyly. Link easily detected the tone of her voice and, upon realizing why it was a sad tone, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. A tear came to Ilia's eye, and she started crying.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"It's... it's nothing. I just..." She sniffed. "I didn't want you to leave without saying anything. Not like last time."

Link smiled, his realization to her sadness correct, and broke their embrace, his hand on her shoulders.

"Well, last time was an..." Link tried to find a word that wouldn't let Ilia continue to ask questions. "An emergency. I really didn't have any time for good-byes."

"Even for me?" Her voice sent a pang of guilt through him, and he imstantly felt horrible for his actions two years previous. Finally, he responded.

"I'm sorry, Ilia. But I just had to leave immediately. I didn't have any time." Upon saying this, he let go of her and mounted his horse, then turned to leave. Before entering the forest behind his house, he stopped and looked back at Ilia, a sadness in his eyes.

"Ilia, I..." He paused. "I don't think I'll make it back this time."

"Why?!" Ilia's tone shifted from sadness to fear. Link understood her fear, and mentally told himself that he had to tell her the truth sometime.

_Better to do it now while you still live. I don't think those Mages will give you any mercy if you meet them. You should very well remember who it was that defeated them last time, HERO._

Link cringed at his own thoughts, then decided it best not to worry her about it. Without saying anything, he turned around and continued on his path, knowing he had probably hurt his best friend's feelings by not telling her.

_It's for her own safety. I don't want her to prevent me from doing my duty as the Hero of Time._

As Link continued down the road, Ilia watched him slowly fade into the night's shadowy cloak and started to cry. Not knowing what he meant by "not making it back", she cried harder, wishing he hadn't left in the first place.


	4. Chapter 3: The Black Mesa Attack

As he neared the Castle, Link was able to make out a large plethora of fireworks lighting up the sky with their brilliant colors. He awed at their beauty, wondering how people could come up with such an invention.

While watching the fireworks, he heard a bell sounding in the town, signaling the time of the day. Eleven times the bell rang, telling Link the Celebration started in one hour. Kicking his heels into Epona's sides, he rode faster towards CastleTown, hoping to reach the city before midnight.

He had just made it to the southern gate when he heard a voice coming from his bag. He slowed his horse, reached into his bag and pulled out the chest. He opened it to find it glowing brighter than it had done earlier. He asked it what it had just said previously.

_"They will be here on the third and final night of the Celebration."_

Instantly the glow went out, signaling its dormance. Link shut the chest and placed it back in his bag, then continued up the steps to the city.

Upon entering the city, he saw several people running around, laughing and enjoying themselves. Carefully weaving his way through the crowds, he finally managed to get to the horse stalls, where he left Epona to rest. He paid the man running the stalls, and turned to leave. He didn't get very far when the same man called his name. Link turned to him, an eyebrow raised.

"I suggest you watch yourself." The man said. "There's rumors about some group called the Black Mesa coming here. More than likely, they'll want to avenge their ancestors deaths from two hundred years ago."

"I understand." Link nodded his head. "I'll keep an eye out for them." He turned around and walked straight into the city center.

Upon entering the square, he nearly let his jaw drop as he marveled over the decorations, the food, and the mass amounts of people who were all dressed up for the occasion. As he walked around the square, he noticed some of the shops were covered in paper lanterns and banners. Even Malo Mart was decorated, its many posters of Malo surrounded by banners and other decorations. He nearly laughed as he remembered what kind of store it used to be before Malo bought it, with its overpriced merchandise and snobby store manager. Now that he thought about it, Malo was the one who had been able to provide him with the golden armor he now wore. He instantly thought about the reactions of the people in the store if they saw him in it. Laughing again, he passed Malo Mart and went to observe more of the decorations.

It wasn't long before the bell tower struck midnight, telling all those who were presenting gifts to head to the castle. Link opened his bag and pulled out the chest, opening to make sure the Ocarina was still there. Seeing that it was, he continued forward to Hyrule Castle, where he would present the Ocarina to Princess Zelda herself.

* * *

As he made his way to the top of the Castle, he could overhear several people talking amongst themselves quietly, some about the Celebration, some about village issues, a mentioning of the Black Mesa...

_Black Mesa?_

Silently, he tracked his sense of hearing to wherever the name sounded from. He soon heard the name again, this time from the two men in front of him. He listened closely to the conversation, careful not to give away his eavesdropping.

"I heard they were last seen somewhere in the Desert. Some guys from Lake Hylia were just minding their own business when they saw a group of hooded people heading towards the Arbiter's Grounds."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. These guys said they attacked that bulblin fortress just outside the grounds, then the next thing they saw was this black cloud forming over the place."

Link swallowed hard. If what these two people were saying was true, then he needed to take action. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to wait very long or go anywhere; they would be in town in three days.

_At least, that's what the Ocarina said..._

The two people in front of him stopped speaking shortly after they had all entered the Throne Room. Link was in awe at the amazing reconstruction of the Castle, but the Throne Room itself was by far the most amazing part of it all. They had just finished installing new chandeliers into the ceiling; Link could tell because of the ladders supposedly hidden behind the pillars surrounding the room. They even installed a new carpet on the floor: A red one with the Royal Insignia up near the Throne, a golden Master Sword in the center of the carpet, and little Triforces lining it all the way around. But the most amazing part of the room, in Link's mind...

_Princess Zelda._

His mind went back to the day they first met: His Twili friend, Midna, helped him escape a prison cell underneath the castle, leading him up to a tall tower in the castle, where Zelda was. Being in a wolf form, he couldn't speak to her, but back then he had a feeling he would one day meet her again, this time in person, as a HUMAN. He did, but not until after he confronted Ganon, Ganondorf's beast-like form, as a wolf.

As his mind returned to the present, Zelda began the Celebration with a speech he had heard nearly two years ago, or rather, something similar. The one she made then was a speech of peace, which was technically the kick-off speech for the Celebration happening at the same time. This one, however, was a bit more cautious, as if she knew something. Being bound by the Triforce, Link could clearly sense the worry in her voice as she spoke, unlike the other citizens, who were simply happy to be there in the presence of their Princess.

While the Princess spoke, Link began to feel a sort of uneasiness. It was a feeling he didn't normally experience, unless there was danger about. This worried him immensely, and he was about to get up to check it out when he remembered where he was. It would have been rude, disrespectful, and dishonorable had he gotten up and left in front of Princess Zelda. Besides, she was beginning to call out the names of those who were to present their tributes to the Celebration. Link was not about to miss walking up to the Princess and presenting her with the Ocarina of Time itself.

Suddenly, he panicked. The Ocarina of Time was a royal artifact entrusted to the Hero of Time nearly two hundred years ago. Shortly after banishing Ganondorf, however, the Hero lost it to the Black Mesa, forcing him to follow them and retrieve it. He killed the Mesa, but was unable to locate the Ocarina after the battle, which caused a major rift between the Royal Family and the Hero of Time. But now that it was found, if Link were to present it to the Princess, he would be called irresponsible, arrested, and probably executed, if he wasn't so lucky. But he had nothing else to present, so he decided it was just best to return it to the Family, perhaps explain how it was found.

Link was still feeling uneasy when Zelda called for him to come forward with his tribute. He gripped the chest tightly as he walked forward, then knelt in his Heroic manner before her. She began to speak, her tone of uneasiness completely hidden by her royal manner. As he opened the chest to reveal the Ocarina, several people gasped, and Zelda's face was in shock.

"Where..." She choked. "Where did you find this?"

"Rusl, our village swordsman, found it in an unexplored area of Ordona while hunting." Link's heart was beating faster, but not because he was in the presence of Zelda, but because the uneasy feeling he had earlier was hitting him harder than before. He knew something bad was approaching, and fast.

* * *

The Black Mesa neared the Castle, their faces hidden by the hoods they wore. As they approached, four guards blocked the entryway, denying them access.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you cannot enter the Castle without a notice from the Princess herself. That goes for the rest of your friends, too."

The leader looked up at him, his eyes glowing in the darkness of his hood. Instantly, the guard fell into a trance, his eyes unmoving as he stared into the man's eyes. Then a snakelike voice sounded through each of the guards' ears.

_"Open the gate."_

The guards that weren't staring into his eyes collapsed immediately, their bodies limp and breathing slowed. The tranced guard, however, opened the gate for the hooded men, allowing them access. When the doors were open, the leader's eyes stopped glowing, and the guard collapsed on the ground like his comrades as the Mesa made their way up to the Castle.

* * *

Zelda looked at the Ocarina quizzically. She had heard of the reason behind its disappearance, the blame that was set on Link for losing it, the rift between the Hero and the Family. But she believed the Black Mesa responsible for the loss of the Ocarina, not Link's bloodline. Once she got over her shock of actually seeing the Ocarina, she spoke.

"Link, I wish to speak with you once the presenting is over." She said quietly. Link only nodded, and Zelda released him to where he had stood previously. She continued on with the presentation, but couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the Ocarina in her hand. A servant asked to place it with the other tributes, but Zelda refused and kept hold of it.

Link watched as the Ocarina sat in Zelda's hands, seemingly dormant to her. But to him, it was speaking. It's surface wasn't glowing, though.

_Smart Ocarina._

_"Hero, I have previously stated that the Black Mesa would be arriving in three days to find you. I was wrong."_

Link tried not to give himself away by speaking out loud, so instead he tried using his thoughts to communicate with the instrument.

_How long do I have then? _

_"Barely ten minutes. They are approaching the Throne room as we speak. I take it you feel their presence getting closer?"_

_Yes. Surprisingly, it's a strange instinct that I've had since I was young: Being able to sense danger before it happens. However -_

Link suddenly felt a rush of pain in his head as his uneasy feeling got stronger. He was barely able to continue his response to the Ocarina.

_However, this feeling is nothing like what I felt during the Twilight Crisis. It's stronger, and it's weakening me severely._

* * *

The Mesa neared the Throne Room, each member carrying a small spherical object in their hands. The objects were emitting a sort of dark gas, which the Mesa believed would weaken their enemy so they could easily dispose of him. They had used it only once before when they got rid of the Sages in the Arbiter's Grounds, which lowered their energy quite immensely. Despite this, they were able to regain enough energy to follow through with their attack on Hyrule Castle three days early. Now that they were there, it was a matter of time before they finally avenged their ancestor's deaths.

Finally, they came to the doors. In the torchlight, one could easily see that each one of their robes, although dark, were different colors, matching the element they could manipulate and corrupt. But in the dark, they were simply black robes.

As the Mesa stood waiting for their leader to speak, they were beginning to feel slightly woozy. The leader sensed this and put up a fist behind him, indicating that they had done their job well, and that they could stop. The Mesa instantly cloaked the spheres they were holding and the dark power disappeared into thin air.

Inside, Link's mind cleared almost as fast as it had clouded, and he broke into a cold sweat, panting lightly, trying not to make an embarrassment of himself.

Outside, the leader of the Mesa turned to face his group. He did not lower his hood; that would be saved for after they captured the Princess. Instead, he glared at them with his dark eyes, and then spoke. His voice was deep and twisted, each word carrying evil as it flew from his mouth.

"This, my friends, is the day we finish what our ancestors started long ago. Tonight, we will end the Hero of Time's existence, wiping out any future Heroes. Keep in mind, though, that he is a very formidable opponent. Do not take him lightly."

"Kyrus." The leader turned to the man who called his name.

"What is it, Zane?" The red-robed man swallowed.

"How will we know who the Hero of Time is?"

"These people are stupid. If we simply asked them where he was, they'd point him out."

"And what if he's not here?" This time, a young woman wearing a blue robe spoke up.

"Don't worry, Lorielle. He's here. If he wasn't, I wouldn't have asked you to use the spheres. Now, get ready."

Kyrus turned to face the doors. He held out his hands and uttered a strange incantation. Instantly the doors flew open and the Mesa rushed inside, drawing hidden weapons and pointing them at people, looking for a fight. Kyrus, however, kept his cool as the others ran in, walking ever so lightly on the red carpet towards the throne. Several guards stepping in front of Princess Zelda, hoping to keep Kyrus at bay. With a flick of the hand, the soldiers were knocked back by Kyrus' small magic trick and slammed into the wall, dazed.

Link watched in horror as the man moved closer and closer to Zelda. He wanted to do something to stop him, but he was paralyzed by some sort of unknown magic that he couldn't find the source of. His hands were stuck to his sides, feet glued to the ground, eyes watching the man now standing before Zelda.

When Kyrus stopped in front of Zelda, he lowered his hood and his eyes began to glow, pupils disappearing to nothing. Zelda stared in horror as the man's eyes continued to glare at her, eyes unmoving. Then, she heard a wispy, snakelike voice in her head.

_"Tell me where the Hero of Time is."_

Zelda said nothing. She knew exactly who these people were, and where the Hero of Time was. She was not going to be mesmorized into telling them anything. Her mind was too strong for him.

Kyrus looked away from her, eyes still glowing as it scanned the room, drawing attention to those who stared into them. Finally, the man spoke again in his snakelike "mind-voice".

_"Tell me where the Hero of Time is, NOW."_

As if on cue, the man behind Link pushed him out into the open. Realizing the paralysis was gone, Link drew his weapons and prepared for a battle. The man spoke again, this time in his regular voice.

"Finally, we meet." Kyrus' words pierced Link's soul like fire. "Do you know how long it took us to find you?"

"A long time, I expect." Link retaliated, his head held high as he spoke. No one broke his confidence.

"Yes. Two YEARS to be exact. As soon as we heard that you, the Hero of Time, had slain Ganondorf in Hyrule, we set out to find you," Kyrus formed a small ball of magic in his hands. "And END you for what you did to us, the Black Mesa."

Once the words were out of his mouth, he fired a large beam of magic at Link from his hand, hoping to hit his target. As he suspected, Link held his ground and moved his shield up to defend himself, only to be knocked out the doors and over the balcony below.

As Link hung over the ground nearly 400 feet up, his left hand grasping the balcony ledge, he carefully sheathed his sword and switched hands to return his shield to his back. As soon as he had done so, he screamed in pain as Kyrus stepped on his hand and knelt down.

"I am going to love this moment forever." was the last thing Link heard before Kyrus kicked him off of the balcony and sent him plummeting to the ground below.

* * *

_**Yeesh, this chapter took forever to write. I've been so busy walking my dog and stuff like that that it took me three days to get this one done. I was also reading through the other chapters I had written and I realized that I was somewhat rushing the story with short chapters. So I'm going to try and make them longer now (minimum 3000 words per chapter).**_

_**Also, I do have two other stories that are the exact same (sort of). I wrote one, didn't like it so I deleted it, then I restored it and accidentally published it again. So I've got two Dark Resurrection stories out there. I'm going to delete the shorter one (1501 words) and leave the longer one (1700+ words) up, although I'm not going to be working on it anymore. So you can read Zelda: Dark Resurrection (You have to put in "Zelda:" to get the right story) up to where it stops, which is a total cliffhanger. To answer any questions about why I'm discontinuing it, I'm working on this one, and I'd like to make this a rather long story, not to mention the whole Skyward Sword idea kinda went downhill for me. Didn't like it.**_

_**So yeah, here's Chapter 3 of The Legend of Zelda: Rise of the Black Mesa. **_


	5. Chapter 4: Link vs Ilia

Link could hear voices. Quite a few, actually, most of them being male. He couldn't make out what they were saying entirely, but he was able to catch snippets of a conversation in his subconscious mind. Then he realized something.

He could hear voices.

Was he dead? No, these voices sounded familiar. He managed to point out Zelda and Rusl, as well as Mayor Bo and his friend, the Kakariko Shaman, Renado. Maybe they were dead too. No, wait a minute. Rusl and Bo were still in Ordon village, a good six hour walk from CastleTown. So how come he could hear them AND Renado AND Zelda? Were they all still in CastleTown? Or were they in Kakariko or Ordon? Link was desperate to find out, but he couldn't get himself to wake up.

After laying there for what seemed like an hour or so, he was finally able to open his eyes. Sure enough, he was in Kakariko Village, the sun bathing him in its light as it set. He had no idea what he was doing outside, until he managed to sit up to become aware of his surroundings.

He was in the Eldin Spring, wearing nothing but his tan pants and the white shirt that he normally wore underneath his trademarked green tunic. He stood up, noting that his strength had returned, and walked towards the Elde Inn, passing Malo Mart in the process.

Upon entering the Inn, he saw eight people sitting at a table, all of which he recognized. It was when he shut the door that they recognized him.

"Ah, Link! Good to see you're alive and well!" Rusl was smiling as he spoke.

"Why am I still alive? That drop was 400 feet!" Link's confusion was clear as he spoke. Everyone except Zelda was just as confused.

"Please, sit down, Link." She said, gesturing to a chair next to her. He took it, and Zelda began her explanation.

"When you fell, I used my powers to warp to where you were going to fall. I created a sort of pillow of air that slowed your descent just enough to keep you from dying. I was unfortunately unable to keep you from getting hurt, which explains why you woke up in the Spring outside."

"Oh, um..." Link was quite taken aback that the Princess had saved his life this time, rather than the other way around. "Th-thank you."

Zelda smiled, and then turned to the group that was waiting for her to speak.

"Now that we're all here, I can finally relay to you what happened at the Castle. I'm sorry to keep you waiting." She cleared her throat and continued. "Hyrule Castle has fallen to the Black Mesa."

The room was silent. So quiet, one could here a leaf falling. Link looked around to see who else was shocked: Auru, Shad, Telma, Rusl, Ashei, Bo, and Renado. Each one of them had widened eyes, their faces grim with worry. Link turned back to Zelda, who continued.

"Apparently," She said. "Their original purpose for coming was to kill Link. I believe you all know the story behind all that." Each person nodded in agreement. "Well, that purpose has been... fulfilled. In their eyes, anyway."

"But they're Mages, right?" Telma asked. "Can't they sense when he's alive or dead?"

"No Mage can. Only the goddesses have that power. Which gives us an advantage."

"What advantage?" Link continued to speak with confusion. "What is going on?"

"Link, there's something you need to know." Bo said. Link watched as he uneasily shifted in his chair, trying to put words together in his mind before speaking them. The worry in his eyes told Link something else was wrong.

Something besides the Castle Overthrow.

"Bo?" He asked. "What is it I need to know?"

Bo remained quiet, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Link's fear rose, and he began to panic.

"Bo?! Tell me what's going on! BO!"

"Enough!" Everyone stared at Renado, who was standing up straight, his eyes glaring at each person at the table. "Clearly the stress of the Castle Overthrow has gotten to us all, but there is much more than that! The Black Mesa has destroyed Ordon Village."

Bo put his head in his lap and let the tears flow. Link, too, started to cry, but tried his best to hold in the tears. The event that had happened, however, made it difficult.

"Is... Is everyone alright? How did the Mesa destroy the village? WHEN did they destroy the village?"

"Fortunately," Renado said. "None of the villagers were hurt. Bo counted."

Link felt as though a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Knowing that everyone was alright, he could rest easy. But he still needed answers.

"To answer your other questions, Link, the Mesa attacked the village earlier this morning. Everyone managed to escape via your Ranch, but the village itself was completely obliterated. I think it may have to do with the revenge on your ancestor for killing theirs. As for how they destroyed it, they used a spell similar to that of Din's Fire, burning down the entire area."

Link was extremely hurt by this news, but as long as Kakariko was willing to house the Ordonians until things were settled, everything would be alright. He cared more for the people of Ordon than the village itself, and he was willing to die for them. Which, technically, he did, according to the Black Mesa.

"I suggest we move on to more important business, now." Auru said. "Princess, is there anything you have in mind to take back Hyrule?"

"Yes." Zelda scanned the room, making sure all eyes were on her. "But what I am about to tell you to do will be the most dangerous mission you have ever embarked on."

Everyone watched her with patient ears as she continued.

"When the Triforce of Power left Ganondorf's body, it split. First into two pieces, then four, then eight. Each piece resides in one of the eight kingdoms of the world, one of them here in Hyrule.

"The rulers of each kingdom were given a shard of the Triforce of Power, enhancing their abilities and allowing them to rule their kingdom with much more power than before."

"So, we've got to go retrieve these shards, yeah?" Ashei seemed quite happy about the new quest, only to become disappointed as Zelda continued.

"No. The rulers of each kingdom have been entrusted by the goddesses with this power. Our job is to find the Black Mesa and stop them before they take the shards and combine the Triforce of Power into a whole again."

"The Princess is right." Link said. "I have witnessed what the full Triforce of Power can do. If it remains split, the Triforce will remain in balance as long as the leaders are righteous. But if the Mesa gets ahold of the Triforce of Power, then the only way to bring the Triforce back into balance would be to combine the other two Triforces to it. That, or kill every last one of them and split the Triforce of Power again. I vote the latter."

"Sounds kind of violent, especially from you, Link." Rusl stated. "But if it means protecting the entire world, I'm in."

"If Rusl's in," Telma said. "The rest of us in our resistance group should join him."

"Agreed." Auru confirmed.

"That's six, then, but it won't be enough. There's seven of them." Link said. "Princess?"

"As a bearer of a piece of the Triforce, it is my duty and honor to help the Hero of Time and his friends."

"I'm coming too!" Ilia ran down the stairs to the group.

"What? No!" Bo was angry. "I'm not going to let my daughter go on some dangerous quest. You'll be killed!"

"Bo's right." Link said. "We've got all the people we need, we won't need any more. Besides, you... uh, you don't..."

"'I don't' what?"

"You don't have the, um... necessary skills for this kind of thing. You're a village girl, not a warrior."

"So you're being sexist?"

"NO! Ilia, listen. Very few girls I know have good use for protecting Hyrule, three of them are here in this room. You're not one of them."

"So what am I, then?"

Link turned around, facing away from her. His face was flushed, his mind was racing, his hands were clenched into fists as he tried to hold back the beast within him. He eventually mustered up enough strength to respond.

"I'm done arguing." He looked up at those who he had agreed to have accompany him. "Those of you whom I accepted into coming on this mission, I want to leave here as soon as possible once tomorrow comes. So find whatever you need for the quest and get ready to leave. If you don't have a shield, Malo is selling wooden shields at his store near the southern entrance to the village."

Ashei chuckled. "Malo? The baby that talks like a grown man?"

"Exactly. He may be a baby, but he's one heck of a businessman."

"Well, let's hope he's got some good prices on those shields, then."

* * *

While members of the traveling team loaded themselves with bombs, shields and whatever else necessary, Ilia went in search of Link, asking people where he had gone. Nobody knew, which discouraged her greatly. She wanted to know what Link really thought of her. She wanted to know why he was siding with her father by telling her to stay behind with the village. She wanted answers, and she wanted them from Link.

She was in the graveyard, silently searching for a sign that Link might've been there, when she heard a sort of splashing noise. It was a light splash, but it wasn't a splash a fish would make. Finding the hole where she heard the splash, she crawled through and found herself in a small, watery grove. Across from her was a tgravestone that had the Zora's mark on it, symbolizing the Zora Royal Family. She looked through the water between her and the gravestone for any sign of the blonde Hero.

Having realized Link wasn't there, she was about to leave when she heard another splash. She whirled around to see a Zora staring up at her with bright blue eyes. Only it wasn't a Zora.

Link removed the mask covering his face and continued to tread water as Ilia stared at him in bewilderment. Never had she seen him in his Zora's Armor before, and suddenly he looked remarkably handsome in it. Remembering what she came for, she snapped back to her senses and began to speak.

"I want answers" was all she could say.

Link knew instantly what she was talking about, and began a long explanation with her.

"Look, Ilia. I don't want you to think I don't want you to come with us because I don't like you, because that's not the case. I'm asking you to stay behind because I'm concerned for your safety."

"You're not my father, Link."

"Well, I'd make a pretty darn good one, I'll tell you that."

Ilia couldn't help but laugh at his remark. He was right to be concerned for her, but he didn't have to act like her father.

"Ilia," Link continued. "I want you to stay behind to take care of the rest of the village. You're the oldest child here, it's your responsibility to stay and watch after the others. Please understand this."

"I understand completely, but I want to know something else." She took a deep breath before continuing. "What skills do I not have that are required for your mission?"

Link, who was still treading water, thought hard for his next words. He wanted to tell her in just the right way what skills she did and didn't have, and why she didn't have the right ones for the mission.

"You have never held a weapon, have you?" Ilia shook her head, so Link continued. "I thought not. See, Ilia, this is why I don't want you to come. You can't fight."

"I can fight!" Ilia shouted.

"Not with a weapon. These are dangerous enemies that we're going up against. We need warriors with weapon skills, not girls who can yell one's ears off. I'm sorry, but you need to learn how to use a weapon before you can become a hero. That's what I did."

"You can teach me!" Link was taken aback at her remark. She wasn't normally one for fighting with a weapon, let alone her fists. "You can teach me." She said again.

Link pondered this for a while. He could teach her. He had already taught her to do many things, including riding a horse and herding goats. But to use weapons? He knew she was capable of learning quickly, which was why she was always his favorite student. But somehow the thought of teaching her to use a sword, a bow or even a slingshot seemed... uncomfortable. Of course, seeing Beth, one of the kids of Ordon, using a slingshot was rather disturbing, since she was in her teens and should be more focused on other things. Such was the same with Ilia. She was 18 years old, which still considered her a child until she turned 19. Link, on the other hand, was 19 1/2 years old, making him an adult like the rest of his team. Ilia would be the only child on the team if she came, as well as the most inexperienced fighter. Link couldn't risk that.

"No, Ilia. I can't. I'm sorry."

He put his mask on and dove back underwater, leaving a very disappointed Ilia to sulk on her perch in the grove.

_Why is he doing this to me?_


	6. Chapter 5: The Journey Begins

**_Sorry about the last chapter having taken so long to come, my internet was down for a few days._**

**_Also, thanks to Twilit Lady of Majesty for being the first to review! They really help me continue writing this story, since I just find sequels to Twilight Princess so awesome. I know there's a ton of other ones, but thanks to everyone who's reading Rise of the Black Mesa! I'll try to update as frequently as I can, maybe every two days or so, I don't know yet. _****_Also, there's a small graphic scene in here. Nothing too bad, just thought you should know. There won't be too many of these throughout the story, though._**

* * *

Shad and Ashei were the first to find Link and Telma setting up the wagons for departure. The two were rubbing their eyes and yawning as they approached the covered vehicles. Link was just finishing up attaching the wagon to Epona's saddle when they came up to him.

"Remind me again, yeah? WHY exactly are we up at two o' clock in the morning?"

"Well, I said 'when tomorrow comes, I want to leave as soon as possible'." Link retorted. "That was late afternoon yesterday. It's the next day, so I want to leave while it's still dark."

"Well, in theory, a person needs about eight hours of sleep to be fully prepared for the next day." Shad rubbed his eyes again. "We've only had about four."

"Then you can sleep in the wagon. I'm not tired at all, so I'll lead Epona for the rest of the night."

Ashei shrugged and went over to Telma's wagon to help set up, and Shad simply climbed into Link's wagon and found a place to sleep, just as the rest of the traveling party came outside with supplies. Even Malo and Gor Ebizo, one of the Goron Elders, came to deliver some supplies from Malo Mart. Barnes and one of the Gorons followed suit with a few bomb bags with them. As they all loaded the supplies into the wagons, the remaining occupants of the village came out to wish them farewell. However, Ilia wasn't with them.

_Either she's asleep, _Link thought. _Or she's simply too mad to come say goodbye._

Rusl and his family shared a large group hug, and Renado was speaking with Telma about the trip. The four members of the resistance group climbed into the wagons, packing their supplies tightly and searching for a place to rest. As everyone was finishing their goodbyes, Link helped Zelda into one of the wagons and packed her supplies in for her.

"Thank you, Link." She said tiredly.

"Any time, Princess." He replied, then went back to his work as she closed her eyes to sleep.

When everyone had their stuff packed and goodbyes said, Link and Telma cracked the reins of their wagons and got the horses moving. Link turned back to watch the small village, though obscured by the wagon, disappear behind the mountains as they headed north to their first destination.

What he didn't see was a small hooded figure sneaking out of the village just before the gates closed.

* * *

Daytime had sprung in, and Kyrus was getting rather impatient. He had sent for one of the guards to bring news of the new settlement now being set up where Ordon Village once was, and it had been over 12 hours since he had left. He was starting to think that maybe the guards were still loyal to Zelda, even though he had killed both her and Link by himself.

Shortly before he sent Link plummeting to the ground, he used a spell to make Zelda's cells evaporate, a rather horrifying scene that shocked the people who attended the Celebration that night.

Knowing that Link AND Zelda were dead, he had nothing to worry about. His plans were going perfectly. Soon, Hyrule would be perfect, just like the other kingdoms under the Mesa's command. The only imperfection was Ordona, and that was easily fixable.

As he pondered his thoughts, he heard the doors swing open, revealing a worn out, panting guard who was almost sprinting up to the throne where Kyrus sat. The guard bowed, hand placed directly over his heart and one knee on the ground, still panting.

"Well?" Kyrus demanded.

"The..." The guard gasped. "The village... it's been overrun... by bulblins!"

"Curses!" Kyrus clenched his fist and returned to his thoughts for a moment, trying to process what had just been said.

"I'll be right back. You may leave, soldier, but stay in the castle."

"Yes, sir!"

With that, Kyrus' body began to glow brighter and brighter until, suddenly, he was gone. The guard looked around, then wiped his brow with relief and left the Throne Room.

* * *

Kyrus reached the village just in time to see several bulblins harassing his workers and breaking down newly constructed building frames. He drew his sword -a two-handed broadsword with a wicked black blade, an upside-down Triforce emblem near the red jewel in the hilt. It's evil power exploded into a sonic wave as soon as it came from its sheath, blowing back both soldiers and bulblins. Suddenly, black squares appeared as if from nowhere, consuming the land in an unnatural twilight.

"King Bulblin!" Kyrus roared.

Although the bulblins themselves were transformed by the twilight and the soldiers mere spirits, Kyrus and King Bulblin stood alone as the only two who remained unaffected. The King stepped forward to Kyrus, hands placed firmly on his hammer, ready to squash the Mage with it.

"This is Hylian property, Bulblin." Kyrus continued, unfazed by the King's massive size, which mostly came from his stomach. "What are you doing here?"

"You know Bulblin law. Find wherever, stay wherever, guard wherever. It's simple."

"This property is under my management, Bulblin. It will soon be established as a base for my soldiers, not your kin. Now LEAVE, or suffer the consequences."

The King laughed. It wasn't the first time a tiny human had faced him, but it certainly wasn't the last.

"You think I am afraid of you, puny human? I have army of bulblins. You have army of... spirits." He laughed once more. He was laughing so hard, he hardly noticed Kyrus thrust his blade into his large stomach and out his back, the end of the blade covered in blood. When the laughing stopped, the King looked down to see the blade that had entered his stomach. He looked up to see Kyrus' face glaring at him.

"You're lucky I didn't kill you with my magic." Kyrus scowled. "It would have been rather messy, and I'm not going to clean it up."

He pulled his sword out, allowing the massive bulblin King to fall to the ground, dead. Sheathing his sword, he let the world return to normal, watching as the bulblins stared at the body of their dead leader. They didn't have long to look before Kyrus sent a wave of black magic, killing every bulblin in the village, but leaving the soldiers there alone.

"Continue working! The bulblins have been taken care of, so get back to it!" He turned to leave, then stopped and turned back to face his workers. "If anything ELSE tries to attack, build a wall around the village to keep them out! I don't want to see anymore disturbances."

With that, he left the village the same way he came, leaving the soldiers to continue their work.

* * *

The sun rose higher and higher as the day went on. Link was still driving his wagon, and had done so for a full eight hours. Twice someone in his wagon had asked to switch with him, but he simply said "no" and kept going. He never gave any reason, which worried everyone accompanying him.

Eventually, Rusl drove up to him in the other wagon and slowed to his pace. His eyes were filled with worry and sadness as he watched both the road and Link driving his own wagon.

"Link, you really need some rest." Rusl stated.

"I'll be fine, Rusl."

"No, you won't. Like Shad said this morning, 'a man needs about eight hours of sleep.' You haven't gotten any."

"Maybe I'm just not tired."

"Or maybe something's bothering you?"

Link sighed. Something WAS bothering him. The destruction of his village, the Black Mesa taking over Hyrule, his fight with Ilia, it was all bothering him. He had been lost in his thoughts all night, preventing him from getting the sleep he desperately needed.

"Let me guess," Rusl continued. "Was it your fight with Ilia?"

"It's more than that, Rusl. My home was destroyed, the Mesa took Hyrule from us, and now look at us! Do you really think a ragtag group of warriors, a bookworm, a bartender and a princess can defeat a group of extremely powerful Mages?"

"They can't be all that powerful, can they?"

"You weren't there. You weren't the one thrown off the top of a castle. I felt their power. I was nearly killed simply because I felt it. It's stronger than any power ever known in this world. These aren't normal Mages, Rusl. Their highly trained assassins with magical abilities and a grudge against me just because I'm the Hero of Time and my ancestor killed theirs two hundred years ago! We can't take these people lightly."

Rusl thought about this for a moment. Link was right. These Mages were very powerful. Where they were now was a mystery, but what they could do was known to almost all of Hyrule, or perhaps even the world.

His thoughts were interrupted when Link's horse suddenly jumped up on her hind legs and whinnied loudly. Link tried calming her down, but to no avail.

"What's going on?" Shad asked angrily. He had just been interrupted from reading his book by Epona's sudden jolt.

"I have no idea." Link replied. "Something's wrong. I think she senses something."

"Everyone, out and weapons ready!" Rusl was shouting to both wagons.

As everyone climbed out of the wagons, Link drew his sword and looked around, his beast-like eyes scanning the area, searching for their prey. Everyone else was alert, weapons drawn, eyes and minds focused on a possible ambush. But it was Link who could sense an extra presence.

_Only one?_

It wasn't long before he spotted a piece of black fabric disappear behind a nearby rock. He stayed quiet, hoping not to lose his target, as he crept toward the rock. Reaching one side of the rock, he waited for any kind of noise. Hearing none, he jumped in front the crevice where the fabric had vanished and pointed his sword at a hooded figure holding its hands up. The hood obscured the figure's face, forcing Link to walk up and yank the hood off.

His heart nearly stopped.

* * *

"Why were you following us?" Link asked. They were back to driving now, passing Zora's Domain and preparing to enter the uninhabited space between Hyrule and their destination. Ilia was sitting next to him, her face sunken with tears after Link had given her a rather harsh lecture for sneaking up on them. He asked her again. Then a third time.

"Ilia, this isn't funny. Answer me, or I'm going to turn this wagon around and take you back to Kakariko myself."

She remained silent and stubborn. Link rolled his eyes and slowed the wagon to a stop. Auru did the same with the other wagon.

"Get off, Ilia, and get in the other wagon. I'm not going to deal with your sudden stubbornness right now. Go."

Ilia silently and reluctantly got off the seat, walked over to the wagon and climbed in. She remained silent and reluctant as the journey went on, her eyes fixed on Link as she stared through the window of Telma's wagon. She recalled a similar situation two years earlier, when she, Telma, and an unconscious Zora prince named Ralis were being escorted to Kakariko by Link. She had looked out the same window at the same person, at around the same time of day. It was a different location, though. They had crossed the Hylian border a few hours earlier, and were now traveling across a large field towards an even larger forest.

She wondered what Link thought of her now. She wasn't acting like the same Ordonian girl he knew for so many years. She was acting more like a stubborn mule, caring for nothing in the world but her own wants and desires.

_No wonder he hates me right now._

But Link didn't hate her. Even he was starting to regret giving her such a harsh lecture, especially in front of Princess Zelda.

_That was a stupid move. REALLY stupid._

As the sun continued to set, they came to a stop just outside the woods. Link and Auru got down from their seats and started getting people and supplies out of the wagons.

"What's going on?" Ilia asked as Auru pulled a large bag labelled "Tent 1" out of the wagon.

"We're setting up camp while it's still light out. It'll get dark pretty quick now since we're so far north. Now help Telma with that other tent, please."


	7. Chapter 6: A Night By The Fire

The group sat around the small campfire, roasting some meat from their provisions. It was nice to finally eat a heartwarming meal without moving so much; breakfast and lunch were rather bumpy.

"I just want to sit here, eat my food, and NOT worry about the next road bump for awhile, yeah?" Ashei sounded quite pleased with where she was as she ate. "At least it wasn't Auru driving during lunch."

"We hit more roadbumps with him driving than Rusl, that's for sure!" Telma laughed. Auru simply smiled at their comments. He knew they weren't making fun of him, they were simply trying to raise the spirits for the mission. He thought it was good for traveling warriors to get their minds off of their missions once in a while. These moments were to be cherished, because one never knows how many of them they would have.

"I'm surprised Link managed to keep his eyes open throughout the trip." Zelda said. "Otherwise, we might have steered off course."

"Yeah," Ashei said. "Why didn't you switch out, Link? You didn't get any sleep at all."

"Oh, he probably thinks he doesn't need it." Shad chuckled. Link rolled his eyes at the thought.

"I need sleep as much as the rest of you." He said. "I've just been so caught up in my thoughts lately I haven't had time to sleep."

"Well, now you have plenty of time to sleep, and you're going to get some." Ilia retorted. She was still somewhat mad at Link for the earlier lecture. "Someone else can take first watch."

"I guess that'll be me." Auru groaned.

Link turned to Ilia, the anger gone from his eyes. He now showed concern in them, and it was clear he and Ilia were going to have a heart-to-heart chat.

"So, are you willing to tell me why you were following us?" His voice held deep concern, but at the same time it sounded caring, like a father towards his child.

"I wanted to come with you." She whispered. Link gave himself a facepalm.

"Be more specific, please."

"Oh, boy," Telma said. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night. See you in the morning."

"I think I'm going to bed too, yeah?" Ashei yawned and went to the girls' tent after Telma. The others soon followed, leaving only Link, Ilia, and Zelda sitting outside. Zelda remained quiet while Link and Ilia had their discussion.

"OK..." Link looked around, puzzled at the thought that everyone had turned in for the night except Auru, who was on guard duty, and Zelda, who was examining the Ocarina she brought with her. "Well, Ilia?"

"I'm tired of you thinking I can't handle things like you can. Look, all I want is to see the world, like you have! You just won't let me."

"I'm doing this because I'm-"

"No, I'm not going to let you finish. I don't care how concerned you are with my safety, you're not my father. If my mother were alive, she'd let me go. She always wanted me to one day see the world, and when you said you wanted to leave, I figured that was my chance to go, so I took it."

Link sighed. She had beaten him. He wouldn't try the age idea he had, because she would tell him about his age when he had previously saved the world. He stared at the ground, thinking of what he was going to do now. He wondered how Bo felt now, having lost his only child to an adventure that could possibly kill her. He couldn't take her back, though. Had he still had the ability of a wolf, he would've teleported her back to the village. But, then again, he didn't have a portal back. So now he was stuck with one decision: Let her come with them.

"Ilia," He said. He thought hard to find the words to say to her. "I... I'm going to... to teach you... how to use a weapon." He couldn't believe he was saying this now. "You're stuck with us, so you're going to learn. I WILL teach you everything I know."

Ilia sprang up and hugged him, thanking him several times before finally letting go and getting off to bed. Once he made sure she was gone, he stood up and moved next to Zelda, keeping a respectable, yet friendly distance from her.

* * *

Zelda was quietly looking at the Ocarina of Time, examining its frame, the golden ring around its' mouthpiece, every quality of this powerful instrument. When she noticed Link sitting beside her, she looked up into his eyes. His feral, blue eyes that seemed so fierce, yet so kind at the same time. And yet... there was something about his eyes that she just couldn't quite get past.

_They're beautiful._

Wait. She couldn't think that. She was a princess, a figure of royalty. Link was a farm boy, a commoner. No, wait. He wasn't a commoner, he was the Hero of Time. He was one-of-a-kind. There was no one else in the world like him. That's right. But why now did she begin to have feelings for him?

She suddenly snapped back into reality when she heard Link say something.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" She asked, quite embarrassed.

"I said, 'Are you alright'? You got kind of... "bug-eyed" all of a sudden. No offense, though."

"Oh. No, I take no offense to that. I was just... thinking, that's all."

Link nodded almost unnoticably, his eyes shifting to the Ocarina. He still didn't quite know how long ago it was when he gave Zelda the instrument, though he assumed it was merely a few days ago.

"Umm..." He stuttered. "I just wanted to know... How long ago did I give you the Ocarina?"

"Just a few days ago." Zelda replied. "Though, I think it's safer in your hands. After all, my ancestor gave yours the Ocarina to keep safe nearly two hundred years ago."

So he was right. But why did she want him to keep the Ocarina? His ancestor had lost it twice already, he didn't think that the Royal Family still trusted his bloodline. Then again, Zelda was the only one of that bloodline now.

"I really don't think that's necessary, Princess." He said.

"I can't keep it. If I did, I would be going against the wishes of my ancestor. You must take this back." She held out the Ocarina to him. Link stared at it for a short time before finally deciding to take it from her hands.

As he examined the Ocarina, the instrument began to glow a brilliant blue once again. The two looked in awe at this magical instrument, but Zelda was the one who jumped when it began to speak.

_"Zelda, you have made a wise choice in returning the Ocarina to the Hero."_

"I... I have?"

_"Yes. It will be much safer in his hands as long as he holds it."_

"Wait..." Zelda paused. "Your voice. It sounds... familiar."

_"I believe the time has come to show myself to you once again."_

Suddenly, the Ocarina flashed brightly, but only for a brief second. When Link and Zelda opened their eyes from the flash, they saw a bluish-purple young girl standing - no, floating - in front of them.

_"My name" _The girl said. _"is Fi."_

* * *

Bo wept over the disappearance of his daughter, his tears uncontrollable. Renado and Fado were behind him, speaking silently so as to not disturb him.

"Have you sent out the search parties?" Renado asked.

"I have, but they've all returned. They've searched everywhere in the direction the group was headin', but there was nothin' there. They're long gone."

"What about the rest of Hyrule?"

"No point. Ilia wanted to go with Link, so she obviously snuck out after 'em. My guess is that they're out of Hyrule now."

Renado sighed. Knowing that Ilia could possibly be in danger - especially of bulblins - was enough to make him concerned for her and her father. To think that Bo had lost his daughter - presumably forever - was heartbreaking. Bo had already lost his wife, so losing the last of his family was easily too much for him. Renado couldn't allow that.

"Fado," He said. "I need you to search beyond the borders. Continue on in the direction Link is going until you find his group. When you do, bring Ilia back. You will NOT return until this is done."

"Y-yes, Renado. Right away." Fado ran outside to find his companions, leaving Renado to return to his study, leaving Bo praying to the goddesses to keep his daughter safe.

* * *

"So," Link said. "You were once the servant of my ancestor?"

_"The first Hero of Time was my master, yes."_ Fi replied. _"Now I serve you, Link, until you have fulfilled your quest in bringing about the end of the Black Mesa."_

Both Link and Zelda were understanding now. Fi once lived inside the Master Sword, the legendary blade that killed Ganondorf two years ago. Now, she resided in the Ocarina of Time, requesting that she become the servant of the Hero once again. But why? Link had done fine working with his friend, Midna, during his previous mission, and she was simply a friend and a travel companion. But Fi was requesting Link to act as her master.

"Fi," Link said. "You said earlier that a great evil was rising, far greater than the Black Mesa or even Ganondorf. Do you know what it is?"

_"My calculations indicate that this evil you speak of is indeed greater than the Black Mesa and Ganondorf altogether. I do not know exactly what it is, however, but I do know one thing: You must NEVER trust Kyrus. He is the mastermind behind the Black Mesa. The others are simply minions who share his vision of power."_

"What are his goals, I wonder?" Zelda inquired.

_"That I do not know of. However, anything related to the Black Mesa I will relay to you immediately after I learn it."_

With that, she returned to the Ocarina, forcing it to go dormant once again. The two sat and thought of what they had just seen and heard. It was all very new to them, and seeing the spirit of the Master Sword, who had been forced to awaken and find Link, appear before them from the Ocarina was altogether very disturbing.

Both had heard of the Legend of Zelda, a great tale depicting a Hero from the sky and a goddess reborn traveling across an unknown land to defeat an evil creature named Demise. The Hero had been guided by Fi, who was the very being that had just now spoken to them, and together they defeated Demise and sealed him away. Unfortunately, Demise had managed to use the last of his power to curse himself, the goddess reborn and the Hero into a cycle without end. But end it did, nearly two years ago.

Link eyed the Ocarina, turning it around in his hands over and over, admiring the blue surface and the golden ring around the mouthpiece. He wondered what kind of magical power came from the instrument. Putting it to his lips, he began playing a song he remembered from his journey, which he found was named the Ballad of Twilight. As he played, Zelda sat next to him, thinking of various things, but mostly staying on the subject of Link.

Why did she suddenly find him so handsome? She had never really gotten to know him before, and they had only briefly met a couple of years ago. Since then, there had been no communication between them. So why was it that he was so intimidating to her?

Was it his eyes? She did find them rather wild, but kind as well.

His talents? He was good at a lot of things, and a quick learner, too.

Or was it his courage? She admired courage, but his beat anyone else's by a long shot.

In any case, she didn't know what it was about him that intrigued her. But hearing the melodious sound of the Ocarina was now making her sleepy, as Link had switched to a different song he learned called Zelda's Lullaby. She recognized the song as the song that she would fall asleep to as a child, and it reminded her of her mother. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes that made one believe that she was an angel from heaven.

She was now getting very sleepy, her subconscious mind trying to take over her conscious one and send her into a deep sleep. Without even thinking, she laid down and rested her head on Link's lap, falling into a deep sleep as Link continued to play softly.

* * *

_**Oh, goodness. Sorry this chapter took FOREVER. I just got back from a canoe trip, so I've been rather busy lately. But, in any case, here it is! Chapter 6!**_


	8. Chapter 7: The Elves of Mareden

It was around midnight when Link suddenly woke up in front of the dying fire. He didn't quite remember when he dozed off, but for some reason he'd wished he was still asleep. He looked up at the moon, only to find it had risen about four hours since he last checked.

Normally, Link slept through the night peacefully. It was rare that he would wake up during the night, and when he did, something was always amiss. Treating it like a sixth sense, Link scanned the area, hoping to find whatever it was that woke him up. It was then that he remembered Zelda was still asleep on his lap.

He really didn't want to wake her, but something in the back of his mind told him that something was definitely wrong here, and the princess could be in danger if she slept. Biting his lip, he gently shook Zelda's shoulders, trying to wake her.

"Princess," He cooed. "Princess, please wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes, looking around from the dim fire to the tent across from her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She looked over at Link, who was quietly scanning the area for a sign of a spy.

"Link," She said. "I'm sorry. For sleeping on your lap. It wasn't my place as princess."

"It's alright." He responded. "But you were tired, so I let you sleep. You need it more than I do."

"Then why did you wake me?" A hint of confusion was in her voice.

"There's something wrong. I can feel it."

Zelda searched the area, trying to see what Link was looking for. Not finding anything, she turned back to Link, only to see him stand up and pull a bow and a quiver of arrows from his pouch.

_How on earth does he fit that in there?_

Link notched an arrow to the bowstring and pulled back. He looked carefully down the shaft of the arrow, as if he were aiming at something. And aiming at something he was. Though he could barely see it, he could tell it was a tall creature spying on him. He released the arrow, but didn't hear a cry of pain as it supposedly hit its target. Confused, he drew another arrow and pointed it at the same spot, waiting to see if the creature would come back.

"Get to the tent, Princess." He said. "I'll handle this."

Zelda did as she was told and walked to her tent, looking back at Link as she stepped inside. She said a short prayer to keep Link safe, then ducked into the shadows of the tent, barely tripping over Ilia.

Link concentrated hard, looking for his target again. At last, he saw a tall, humanlike figure moving swiftly up a tree, using all four limbs to climb it without any effort at all. His aim moved straight up to the figure, and the arrow flew. The figure jumped to a new tree, tirelessly and without effort, angering the young Hylian as he drew a third arrow. Carefully watching his target's moves, he waited until the figure prepared to jump again, then fired ever so slightly to the figure's left. The figure jumped backwards, away from the arrow, and suddenly jumped out of the tree, somersaulting on the ground and coming back up with an arrow in front of Link's face. Link stood there, astonished, as more and more figures like this one came out of the trees to attack him, but was relieved when his own, entire party leaped out of their tents, weapons drawn, ready to face what was attacking them. Zelda walked over and stood next to Link, her sword glinting in the glow of the dying fire.

Link looked around at each of his enemies. They all wore hooded cloaks, and many of them had bows with arrows pointing at Link's comrades. For a second, he thought they were the Black Mesa, but he decided against it, remembering that there were only seven of them.

_Unless there was an entire clan._

Link was jerked out of his thoughts when a smooth, yet firm voice laughed from seemingly nowhere. Then a tall, lean man walked toward him, wearing a crown on his head and wielding a long, strangely shaped sword. He moved steadily towards Link, his eyes unwavering and his walk graceful as he glided across the ground.

The figure aiming at Link stepped aside for the man, but his arrow remained on the young Hylian. It was when the man stopped in front of him did Link notice something strange about him: He had long, blonde hair.

The man noticed Link's gaze and motioned for the hooded figures to remove their hoods. Link stared wide-eyed as he realized that each one of them had long hair - mostly blonde - and...

Pointed ears. But they definitely weren't Hylian.

_Elves._

The man before Link spoke suddenly, his voice unchanged from his quiet laugh only moments ago.

"What a coincidence," The man said. "That eight Hylians would come into our lands, two of them wielding a piece of the Triforce."

Link was astonished. How did he know? Then again, elves were by far the wisest of all creatures and knew quite a lot about Hyrule, though none ever visited. Then the man continued.

"Yes, I know who you two are," He smiled, but it wasn't a wicked, evil smile. "Hero of Time and Princess of Destiny."

* * *

Link struggled to keep up with the horses of the Elves as they were being escorted to a city within the cover of the tall trees of the forest. Although his own horse was fast, he couldn't match the speed of the beautiful white beasts that the Elves rode upon. For a while, he thought that their horses were simply better trained, but then realized that Epona was simply tired. He didn't blame her, though. She had been woken up from her sleep and asked by her master to carry him and Zelda to the Elven city they were going to. Somehow, in the back of Link's mind, he thought he could hear a voice responding to him, saying:

"Fine. But when we get there, I'm going to sleep."

Link chuckled at the thought of possibly having heard Epona speak to the wolf-like part of his mind.

Zelda had fallen asleep behind him, her arms around his waist and her head resting on his back. He didn't have his sword and shield equipped to his back, they were in his pouch, along with all of his other items. He had decided, since the Elves were not going to kill them, to lower his defenses and un-equip everything in case Zelda fell asleep. Which she did.

When he saw the gates to the city, Link softly tapped Zelda's hands, waking her and motioning for her to look up. She opened her eyes slowly, letting the blur of sleep become clear, and she looked up to see the sunlight reflecting off of the golden gates that guarded the city. But it was behind those gates that made both of them gasp.

The city in the forest was massive in size, elaborately planned out, and more beautiful than even Hyrule Castle itself. It had stairs spiraling tall trees made of quartz and gold, each case leading up to a large treehouse. Each house was connected to eachother via a bridge made of pure crystal, and the houses themselves were made of beautiful minerals, including diamond and emerald. On the forest floor was a massive city square with gold-lined roads, a crystal fountain, and large shops that surrounded the square. The city itself was far bigger than CastleTown, but it was the castle ahead was clearly twice as large as Hyrule Castle. It had doors made of solid gold, its walls created entirely out of quartz bricks and its windows surrounded by diamond.

When they stopped in front of the massive castle, several Elven servants came to greet them. Link noticed that all of them were female, even though they wore a servant's tunic and leggings, both of which were normally worn by servant boys. He watched as the crowned Elf spoke to the servants, who bowed and came in the travelers' direction.

_He must be the Elven King._

* * *

"Well, for a quest like ours, it sure is luxurious, yeah?" Ashei said as she dropped her bag on a bed.

The group had been directed to their rooms in the Castle, courtesy of the Elven King. One room for the girls, one for the boys. Each one was extremely massive, but only had four beds per room.

"Don't expect to be here too long, though." Telma said. "Remember, we have to find that shard and make sure it's safe in the hands of the Elven King."

"What I don't understand, though, is that we have to "secure" the Triforce of Power's shards in the places that they've been sent to, make sure they stay where they are. Why can't we just bring the whole thing back to Hyrule?"

"Because," Zelda said as she situated her sword to her bedside. "As long as the full Triforce of Power remains away from Hyrule, we're safe. If it's split, it needs to remain in good hands in order to keep balance. Without that balance, there is no order, and the world goes into chaos."

"No offense, your highness," Ashei started.

"Please, Ashei, call me Zelda for the time being. I'm no longer on the Hylian Throne, anyway."

"Alright, Zelda, then. But isn't the world already in chaos? Again?"

Zelda pondered this for a moment. Ashei was right. The world WAS in chaos. The Black Mesa had attacked Hyrule, the Triforce of Power was split, and somehow she thought that the Sages weren't doing their job of protecting the world. Something was very wrong.

* * *

Link set his pouch on his bed, leaving his belt on. He was tired, and after two days and four hours of sleep, he had reason to be. Auru, Rusl and Shad were still setting things by their own beds, not talking much as they unpacked.

"How long do we expect to be here?" Shad asked.

"Depends." Rusl replied. "We still don't know the King, the kingdom, or the whereabouts of the first shard. My guess is we'll be here as long as it takes to get that shard."

"Hopefully," Auru said. "We won't run into any sort of distractions along the way. Elves are respectful, yes, but they can be quite seductive. The men aren't so bad, since they tend to keep the peace most of the time. The women, however, you should watch for. They use their beauty and talent to draw you in, and next thing you know, you're lying on a strange bed half-naked wondering what on earth happened the night before."

The boys laughed at this, thinking about how Auru might have come to know this information. Link was the one to ask.

"How do you know this information, Auru?"

"I guess you could say I learned it the hard way a long time ago. A REALLY long time ago."

Once again, they burst out laughing. To think that Auru, at such a young age then, had fallen for a young woman's Elven beauty on one of his adventures was almost too much for them. Each one was clutching their gut, hoping not to explode from the sheer amount of laughter that was coming from them. Shad wiped his glasses and put them back on, trying to calm himself down so he could speak.

"Well," He gasped. "Let's hope that we all will have enough strength to avoid them, then."

"It's you and Link we're worried about." Auru said. "Elven girls don't trick older men like me and Rusl. That's the respectable part of them being female. But you young men should watch out. Especially you, Link, being the Hero of Time and all."

At this, the boys laughed again, though not quite as hard this time.

* * *

It was early afternoon, the summer air cool and refreshing inside the forest. Due to its geography, it was cooler here than in Hyrule, but it was a comfortable cool.

Link was walking around the grounds of the city, which he had learned earlier was named Mareden, city of the King. The city had been named after the first Elven King, who had claimed and founded the country of Mareden, named after himself. He then built a capital city and named it the same, saying it was the city of the King. Indeed it was.

Link's eyes darted back and forth, admiring the amazing craftsmanship of the Elves and their talents. It was true that this city was much more majestic than CastleTown, even Zelda admitted to that. But it was nothing like the humble Hylian capital that Link grew to love.

His sensitive Hylian ears suddenly picked up the sweet sound of music, a feminine voice so beautiful he could swear all of nature was listening. Using his acute sense of hearing, he slowly made his way through the calm Elven crowd to try and find where this voice was coming from. Slipping through the west entrance to the city, he walked silently along the small side-road until he came to a small grove.

The girl was definitely Elven, though she looked to be quite young, 17 years at best. But she was beautiful, and her voice was only a small part of that beauty. As he suspected, there were animals sitting around her, listening to her sing and play a small golden harp. Even the trees seemed to be listening to her melodious voice. The song sounded so...familiar. As if it was written by a goddess.

_Nayru._

Suddenly, he remembered the Ocarina in his pouch. Without thinking that she would know he was there, he pulled the instrument out and put it to his lips. At just the right moment, he joined the young Elf in playing her melody. As they played, Link fell into a deep trance, absorbing the tune into his mind as the melody carried on.

He snapped back into reality when she stopped abruptly, having noticed him standing there. Link stood there, wide-eyed and frozen, unable to allow any words out of his mouth. She watched him, waiting for him to do something. When he didn't, she simply smiled.

"It's quite remarkable," She said. "That a Hylian such as yourself would even listen to Elven music. It's never happened before."

"Well," Link said, regaining his composition. He cursed the Triforce of Courage for putting him in such an awkward situation. "You'd be surprised at how much Hyrule has changed."

"Not for the better, I think."

Link was shocked. This Elven girl somehow knew something about Hyrule's problems. But no Elves came to Hyrule, and not many Hylians travel to see the Elves. So how did she know? He needed to ask, and quick.

"How do you know about Hyrule's problems?"

"There is still evil there?"

"Well," He searched his mind for the right words. "Some evil Mages came and took over. They tried to kill me for something my ancestor did a long time ago, and they think they've succeeded."

"Yet, here you stand." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Your ancestor... did he... vanquish these Mages then?" She moved closer to him.

"Yes." Link's mind gave a "red flag" warning, but he didn't acknowledge it too well. Didn't Auru say something that morning about Elven girls?

And that was when she knocked him out cold.

* * *

_**Well, here's chapter 7! It's been taking me longer to update because I'm trying to see what would fit and wouldn't fit into the storyline, but this all seemed to work out nicely.**_

_**I really hope no one is offended by the uh... Elven girls and their... habits. I thought it would be quite entertaining to see one of the boys get sucked into a mess like that. Poor Link... Well, it's rated T for a reason folks.**_

**_Also, I'd like to thank Guest1 and Zeldafan for their reviews! Every time I read a new review, I feel good inside, because people like my story, and it helps me continue! This one won't be discontinued, that I promise. And again, thanks to Twilit Lady of Majesty for her review. You all get a cookie! Well, not literally, unless you guys are able to sneak one out of your cookie jar :P_**

**_So, yeah. Chapter 8 will be up when I get it up, cuz there's really no "deadline" for me. I'm just having fun writing this. :D_**


	9. Chapter 8: An Awkward Encounter

Ilia paced the girls' room alone, furiously thinking. Where was Link?

Before leaving the castle, Link had told her he would return in an hour to begin their first training lesson.

_That was an hour and a half ago._

She started to wonder if he had secretly gone to get the Triforce shard himself, without any help. But she quickly discarded that idea, remembering that Zelda had told them that gaining each shard would require teamwork.

Her second theory was that he had sent for an escort to send her back to Kakariko to her father, and Din knows how much trouble she'd be in if that was the case. But wait, Elves don't go to Hyrule because it's too corrupted. At least, that's what the Elven King said.

Her last, most likely theory was that he lost track of time and had stayed out too long.

_Yeah, that's it. I'll just go find him._

As she walked out of her room and down the halls, she had a strange feeling that she was wrong all three times.

What she didn't know was that she WAS wrong. Dead wrong.

* * *

Link slowly awoke, his head still throbbing from the painful blow that he had received from the young Elven girl. He remembered too late about how seductive they were, and quickly looked down to make sure he was still dressed. He was.

_Thank the goddesses._

He wasn't in the grove anymore, though. He was inside a small house that looked like it belonged to one of the Elves. He looked around the room, hazily making out the different decorations, his pouch, the girl examining the Ocarina...

"Hey!" Link's head throbbed from his voice.

The girl looked up slowly, a smile on her face as she set down the Ocarina and walked closer to him. Link got off the bed to get away, only to land face-up on the marble floor. He tried to stand, his strength slowly, but surely, returning as he supported his weight on one of the bed posts. How hard did she hit him?

The girl simply crawled over the bed to get to him, still smiling as she did so. Link put his hand up in front of him, preparing to defend himself against the Elf.

"Please," He said. "Don't do this to me. I, uh... I don't have time."

"But you're the Hero of Time." She cooed softly. "Surely, that Ocarina of yours can play a song to slow it down or something."

"I - How do you know about the Ocarina? How do you know who I am?"

"Because, although the Elves don't actually go to Hyrule, they study Hylian history and lore, along with our own."

Link tried not to look into her eyes. He knew she was planning something far against his standards, and he was NOT going to allow it. If he fell into her trap, the Triforce of Courage would be taken from him, and he would no longer be the Hero of Time. He had to remain strong, both physically and morally.

Having his physical strength returned, he made his way to his pouch, avoiding the girl's eyes, though feeling them on him. He pocketed the Ocarina back into his pouch and strapped it around his waist, then headed toward the golden door of the house. He made it as far as two steps before his tunic caught on something, or rather, something caught IT.

He whirled around to face the girl, who quickly made her move and tried to plant a passionate kiss on his lips. Link used all of his Hylian might to hold back the young girl, but accidentally looked into her eyes when doing so. Something in there seemed so... enchanting.

Link loosened up his muscles, completely forgetting his standards, and allowed the girl to continue.

After the kissing that followed, the girl finally let him go. Link stood there, thinking about what had just happened, then turned to leave before she could do anything else to him.

* * *

"Where have you been?"

The group was sitting at a massive dining table in the Main Hall, waiting for cooks to bring out their dinner, and Ilia was rather angry at Link for missing their training lesson. Link, however, was unable to speak. He was still trying to put together the puzzles in his mind.

"Well?" Ilia asked again.

"Oh, leave him be." Telma said. "The boy's probably had it rough today. Got in a fight or something."

"Elves don't fight unless necessary." Auru said. "They're very peaceful."

"Could've been a human, yeah?" Ashei asked.

"That is possible." Shad stated. "I've seen a small number of humans around here. Some of them look like warriors."

"Or," Auru looked rather uneasy. "He could've done something rather foolish."

Link's eyes widened. What would they do if they found out about that afternoon? Worse, what would Ilia do?

_Probably never talk to me again._

"Foolish how?" Zelda asked. "Link may be a bit reckless sometimes, but his heart is in the right place."

"That's, uh...not what I meant. At all. What I meant was..."

"We believe he may have gotten himself in a rather awkward position with one of the Elven girls." Rusl finished. "Which I'm hoping isn't true, considering Link's background and all."

_Uh-oh, _Link knew he was in for it now. Embarrassment and shame was at his doorstep.

Ilia looked at him with worry, praying in her mind that they were wrong. But, judging by the look in Link's eyes, her suspicions were probably already confirmed. Or at least, they were about to be.

"Your judgement," Link finally said. "Is correct."

With that, he left the dining room just as the cooks came out of the kitchens announcing dinner. Ilia followed shortly thereafter, her heart hurting more than anyone else's. Well, except for Link's.

* * *

Link felt awful. He had so many unanswered questions in his mind, so much shame in his heart, it was too much for him. What happened to the young, innocent farm boy he used to be? That was replaced by a Hero, one who saved all of Hyrule. And yet, even after saving Hyrule, he was still out doing his job as the Hero of Time. So why was it that, even though he was a respectable Hero, he couldn't get away from the girl who had briefly kidnapped him? What was it about her that trapped him?

_That song._

He knew that song from somewhere, but he had never played it before. And now, having heard it, he was sucked into the girl's trap. Had he heard a different song, he would never have let the girl get to him. He wouldn't have even gone to see her. But it was something about that song that intrigued him. Some sort of magic came from it, and he wanted to find out what it was and how to use it. But that meant only one thing:

He would have to find the girl and have her teach him the song and its origins.

He equipped his sword, leaving his shield in his pouch, and grabbed the Ocarina and headed towards the door, only to freeze when someone knocked.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Link, it's me. Ilia. Can I talk to you?"

"Uh... not right now. Maybe later."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to do something outside the castle. I'll be back in a little while."

"Well, I don't really know what Rusl meant by "awkward position with one of the Elven girls", but whatever it was, I forgive you."

Link breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't have to deal with Ilia's fury.

"Oh, and another thing." She continued. "Auru said we were going to start the search for the shard tomorrow, since it's getting rather late."

* * *

_**OK, I know this chapter was a little shorter than the others, but hey, it was pretty funny writing this one. **_

_**I promise, they'll start looking for the shard next chapter, so don't worry. **_

_**Keep reading, and keep reviewing! I love positive feedback! Thanks!**_


	10. Chapter 9: The Old Forest Temple

_**Thank you to LinneaPike for your reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**_

* * *

Sunlight filtered every corner of the room as the morning slowly drew on, bathing the boys in a light that could easily wake them from their slumber when it hit their faces, prohibiting them from going back to sleep, and yet they slept on. However, the only person not in the room was Link.

Outside the castle, in a small neighborhood outside the city square, a hooded young man walked carefully up to a beautiful Elven house, which carefully placed golden rims around the door and windows. The young man recognized this house easily, since he had previously been here less than a day earlier. Noting that the Elves were always up earlier than most humans, the young man did not hesitate to knock on the door of the house he had come to. A light shuffling was heard inside the house, and soon a smooth, silky voice allowed him entry. So he entered.

"Can I help you?" The girl asked. She was facing away from him, polishing her harp.

"Yes," The young man lowered his hood. "I believe you can." The girl whirled around in surprise.

"Well, look who came back to see me." She said rather seductively, and moved in for a kiss. Link placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"I'm not here for that." He said, then pulled out his Ocarina. "I'm here to ask you a favor. A big one."

* * *

"Link's off again, isn't he?" Rusl asked, quite unamused. The group had finally awoken, and were now eating in the Main Hall.

"It seems like it." Zelda replied. Her expression was grim, and her eyes were filled with sadness and fear.

Even Ilia was upset. She had been forced to resort to Rusl training her instead, since Link's head seemed to be off in the clouds, or worse, with that Elven girl that he met the previous day.

"He's been acting a bit loopy since we got here, yeah?" Ashei stated.

"Not loopy," Shad corrected. "He's just got other things on his mind."

"Then he needs to start thinking more about the mission, and less on whatever he's doing." Rusl said. "I'll go find him."

"No," Zelda said sternly. "Let me do it. I think I have a good idea as to where he is."

* * *

Link and the Elven girl were sitting on a small park bench, playing their respective instruments, trying to harmonize the song Link was trying to learn. The girl had absolutely no idea why Link would rather learn a song than kiss her, but she put up with it. She found it quite enjoyable, actually, to know that a Hylian took interest in Elven music. Normally, they either listen to their own or none at all.

_And to think Hyrule is the most magical country of them all._

She had heard of six other countries of the world, each one with their own style of music. Her favorite was the land of Corea, home of the Rito. Their music was, by far, one of the most beautiful sounding in the world. Next to the Elves, of course.

As they played the song, both instruments suddenly began to glow. They stopped playing and watched as the instruments grew brighter and brighter, enveloping them in light. Then, as soon as the light had come, there was only darkness.

Link and the girl looked around, wondering what on earth was happening. They couldn't see any trees, birds, or any other form of nature except each other, and the only light they had now was the light eminating from their instruments. Link began to walk forward, the girl following behind him. She grabbed his hand and held it, but Link didn't seem to notice. Together, they continued walking in the darkness, searching for a path.

They hadn't been walking for more than ten minutes before they came to a large shrine. The shrine was made up of eight different symbols, one being the Triforce situated on a flying bird, one being the Elven symbol of a harp with arrows for strings, and six others which were unfamiliar to them both. They examined the symbols, trying to figure out what they meant or what they did. Link eventually found an engraving in the Triforce symbol, shaped strangely like an Ocarina. Across from him, the girl had found a harp-shaped engraving in the Elven symbol, making her eyebrow rise. She took her instrument and fitted it in the engraving, which triggered the symbol to move down into the ground. Link turned around, only to find the girl watching as the Elven symbol sunk beneath the darkness.

"What did you do?"

"I don't know! I just put my harp in the engraving, and the whole symbol sank!"

_Wait a second... _Link's mind raced.

He looked back at the Triforce symbol, briefly studying the Ocarina-shaped engraving before placing the Ocarina of Time inside. This symbol, too, sank. Link figured that there was a different instrument for each symbol, and that by finding all of the instruments, they would unlock the secret to this shrine.

As soon as the Triforce could no longer be seen under the darkness, a massive flash of blue light shone all around them and the shrine, glowing brighter and brighter until it suddenly dimmed out. There, where the light once was, a floating blue-gold young woman stood among them. She had golden skin, blue hair and a blue dress, and her face was kind and beautiful.

Upon recognizing the figure, Link put one hand over his heart and knelt before the woman, head bowed.

"Lady Nayru."

"It is good to finally meet you face-to-face, Hero of Time. You may stand and look."

Link stood and raised his head, examining the beauty that stood before him.

"Wise One," He said reverently. "I'm confused by all of this. What does this shrine mean?"

"That is what I am here to tell you."

Link straightened up as if to pay better attention, whereas the girl sat down to listen, her legs crossed. When Nayru felt sure that both were listening, she began.

"This is a shrine not found in the light world. It's powers are unknown to the common man, meaning no mere mortal can enter. The only beings who are able to use its power are either the Sages, the Hero of Time, the Princess of Destiny, or anyone who has been granted immortality or magic. However, they must have a piece of the Triforce with them in order to gain access to its power.

"Because the Triforce of Power is split into eight pieces across the world, it is most unwise to leave them that way. This is because there are those who care nothing for the world who seek it. You know of whom I speak, Hero."

"The Black Mesa." Link thought for a moment. "But, Wise One, I thought the Black Mesa simply wanted me dead, nothing more."

"You are mistaken." Nayru responded.

"Two hundred years ago, the ancestors of the Black Mesa tried to gain access to the Sacred Realm, to resurrect Ganondorf, then kill him and take the Triforce of Power. But the Hero of Time stepped in, defeated the Mesa, and kept the balance between the Triforce. Now that the Mesa has returned, they will seek to continue their quest to find the Triforce of Power and use it to get into this shrine and take the ultimate power that sleeps within."

"Which is?" The girl asked, quite disrespectfully. She didn't mean to, but when Nayru turned to her, she suddenly felt guilty for speaking.

"I would assume much better ways to address me, considering your status as a Sage." Nayru snapped.

Upon hearing "Sage", Link turned his head to the girl, who began to shake in fear.

"Sage, Wise One?" He asked for the girl.

"I see she has not yet awakened. Oh, well. Forgiveness must be done."

With that, she began to glow brighter, her entire body illuminating the shrine.

"Awaken, Nayru, Sage of Maraden." She said, then disappeared.

Link and the girl, or rather Nayru, looked at each other with confused looks on their faces, then whirled around to see the symbols rising again. When they stopped rising, the two took their respective instruments out of the engravings. Then, without warning, a stone statue popped up, revealing a glowing portal that swirled in different colors as it waited for the two to enter. And so, hand in hand, they entered the portal.

* * *

Link awoke to see a saddened Ilia and a worried group of friends standing at the foot of a hospital bed. He tried to sit up, but his strength had all but returned. He was still recalling the matters discussed with the goddess Nayru, which he knew to be no dream. So how was it that they had entered the portal and then somehow woke up in a hospital bed? Was it their subconscious minds that had entered? True, the mind had the ability to do that without the owner knowing, but with a vision like that? Link only confused himself more. He didn't understand at all the concept of dreams and visions.

"How long have we been out?" was all he could say.

"About a couple of hours." Telma replied. "When we found you and the girl, though, you may have been out longer."

Link looked over to his left to see the Sage Nayru in the same state as he was: awake, dazed, and confused.

"When we found you," Rusl said, forcing Link to turn his head to the man. "You were both lying on the ground, clearly unconscious. How you got that way was rather suspicious to us all."

_So when we entered the vision, _Link thought. _We just... fell unconscious?_

"If you're thinking - even for a moment - that we were sleeping together, you're very, VERY, wrong." Link snapped, surprised that his strength just enough to allow him to speak so boldly, as if he had only awakened from a night of sleep.

"That's exactly what Ilia thought, yeah?" Ashei said.

"Except," Shad said finally. "Ilia forgot the fact that they were NOT sleeping, they were unconscious. What is still unclear is how and why you got that way."

Link tore through his thoughts, trying to gather every last bit of information that he could from his vision. Of course, he would have to tell them how he and Nayru got the vision in the first place.

Then, a peculiar thought crossed his mind.

_Was the place in my vision real? Or simply a figment of imagination?_

Link had never really considered this until just now. The place looked and felt real, but was it?

"Link?" Zelda's voice penetrated his mind, bringing him back to the present. "Can you explain to us how and why you and this girl ended up on the ground together?"

The mere placement of the words seemed rather sexual, even for a princess to say them. Link knew she meant well, but the messed-up, teenager-like side of his mind couldn't help but process the words in the way he had heard them.

"If I tell you," Link said. "Then you must understand that what I'm about to tell you will change the course of our mission to a whole new level."

* * *

It was late afternoon when Link and Nayru had finally recovered their strength and were able to move by themselves. Their appetites had increased immensely, only to go back down after both had thrown up several times in several places in the castle, angering the young servant girls who worked there.

The group was packed and ready to head to a temple that the Elven King had pointed out to them that morning, a temple that housed the Triforce Shard they were looking for. They had thanked the King for his hospitality, who in return thanked them for staying for such a brief time.

"It is an honor and a pleasure to have met Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time, as well as our old friend Auru and the rest of your colleagues." The King had said. "I take it Nayru has asked to accompany you?"

"Erm... yeah." Ashei said, knowing full well now that was not the case. Not entirely, anyway.

"Well, then, I wish you the best of luck on your quest. May the goddesses guide and protect you all." He bowed, and watched as Rusl and Telma drove the wagons onward down the narrow road through the forest, carefully avoiding the obstructions that were still being cleaned up from a thunderstorm a week earlier.

* * *

The road was long, the weather was getting colder, and each half of the group was huddled in their respective wagon, trying to keep warm from the growing chill. Link, however, seemed unaffected by it, which set off his wagon companions, who were beginning to wonder how on earth he managed to be warm sitting all by himself. Then, they remembered that he was wearing his red tunic.

The tunic was a part of the golden armor that he had been given by Bo, just before the celebration. The armor itself had certain magical properties, but Link didn't know how to use them. The tunic, however, was protective against heat and cold. It cooled him down when it was hot, and it warmed him up when it was cold. All in all, the tunic was rather handy, which made his friends jealous that they didn't have one.

Finally, after what seemed like forever to those who were cold, they arrived at a surprisingly warm grotto, where they stopped. Everyone got out to stretch their legs, looking up at a rather large, ominous building with a staircase that lead straight up to the entrance. The stairs looked freshly built, as if they had just been installed. The rest of the building, however, was withered and looked about a thousand or so years old.

"Is this..." Ilia started.

"Yes," Rusl said. "This is the ancient Forest Temple, where the Sage of Forest once dwelled."

"It now serves as the dwelling for the Sage of Maraden," Auru continued. "Which I assume is you, young lady?" He directed the attention to Nayru, who blushed when Link's eyes met hers.

"Yes." She squeaked.

"Well, there's no use sitting around here." Link said. "Let's find a spot to park the wagons and head in."

Link moved over to Epona and handed her an apple from a bag he had labelled "Horse Treats". Gratefully taking the apple, Epona allowed her master to direct her to the side of the Temple, where he tied her reins to a nearby tree. He was about to leave when he thought of covering her and the wagon in leaves, so as to camouflage her from the sights of any enemies. Finding no dead branches, Link let out a sigh and said a silent prayer to the goddesses, praying that the horses would be safe and that their mission would go well. He finished, then turned toward the entrance of the Temple and walked over to his friends.

* * *

A figure wearing a dark green cloak stood before Kyrus, awaiting the orders his leader had summoned him for. He was exhausted after having to use a lot of his magic to teleport from a far corner of Maraden to Hyrule Castle, and it took a lot of effort not to fall down. Doing that would make him appear weak.

"Donovan," Kyrus said. "I have located the whereabouts of the Shard you're looking for."

Donovan winced, thinking he had failed his mission.

"It is located in the ancient Forest Temple of Maraden, six miles north of the capitol city." Kyrus continued. "However, I have also found out that a group of warriors have also located the Temple, and are entering it as we speak. Meet them there, but don't take the Shard until you have killed them all. Understood?"

"Yes, Kyrus. I will do so."

With that, he turned and disappeared entirely, leaving Kyrus alone once again in the darkness of his new home.

* * *

"Well," Shad said as he entered the Temple. "Let's hope we can find some sort of ancient knowledge about this place. I'd like to know more about its origins and its history." He turned and began in a different direction than the group, toward the northeastern door.

"I don't think it would be wise to split up." Zelda said. "But since we are all keen on finding the Shard, I suggest we go in groups, instead of doing this alone."

"How will we communicate?" Telma asked.

"I have devices here called Gossip Stones." She pulled out several small, bluish stones from a pouch on her belt, handing each member one of them. "Through these, we will be able to see, hear, and speak to each other with ease. If you have any problems, use them."

Link immediately pocketed his as soon as he received it, then turned to the center, his eyes catching something strange.

"You guys split up in different directions. Shad, you and Nayru stay with me. I want to see if we can figure out something in this room."

"A puzzle, perhaps?" Shad asked, clearly overjoyed.

"In a sense."

Realizing Link wasn't one to argue with, Zelda and Auru divided the rest of the group in halves, then set off for different sections of the Temple: Auru to the east, Zelda to the west.

Once they were gone, Link motioned for the two that were with him to come to the center. He pointed out several strange markings on four different unlit torches, explaining what he thought they could be.

"They look like codes." He said. "Ancient Elvish by the looks of it." He turned to Nayru. "Can you read this?"

"Roughly." She carefully examined the codes, barely making out the symbols in the dark Temple.

"'The gateway to victory... can only be accessed... when the key has been found.' What key?"

"Perhaps it's a riddle?" Shad asked.

"No, riddles are more complicated than that. It's a clue." Nayru scratched her head. "But what key is it talking about? A regular key?"

"I don't think so." Link replied. "It says 'when the key has been found'. It's a hidden key, but it's not a real key."

"So what kind of key is it?"

"I don't know. But since it's hidden, it's got to be somewhere in this room. Spread out and start searching for something that could be a key."

Acknowledging his command, the other two spread out and searched opposite sides of the room, checking the walls for a hidden switch or a symbol of sorts. Link stood in the center, using the light of his lantern to light the torches and make it easier to see. Once the fourth torch was lit, however, something strange happened. Behind him, a few bricks came down from the ceiling and landed on the floor, revealing sunlight. Having lit the entire room, Link used its light to search for whatever 'key' the clue was indicating.

Shad barely noticed the light until it hit him, making it easier to see the walls and look for more clues. He came across another set of symbols, also in Elvish, which looked freshly cut into the stone. Pulling out his book, he used it to translate the symbols, giving him a startling message.

_"If you wish to find the Shard, you will have to find me first. I will wait in the room below for you, warriors."_

Taken aback, he called to the others in the room, his voice shaken.

"Someone's been here already!" He cried.

"What are you talking about?" Nayru asked, puzzled. "No one's been here for two hundred years. You're probably seeing things."

"No, no! There's writing on this wall here!"

Not worrying about his own task, Link dashed over to Shad, Nayru several steps behind. When they reached him, Link stared at the wall for a long time, trying to figure out whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him. They weren't.

"You're right." He finally said. "So how did he or she get through and reset the puzzle?"

Nayru put her hand on the floor, as if trying to search for any form of magic involved, which she was. But after a long time of searching, she finally gave up.

"My senses can't find anything." She said, startling the other two. "However, I do know how to reach him or her."

* * *

Auru was scanning the wall of a small, circular room, looking for a clue. It was the fifth unsuccessful room he, Rusl and Telma had been in, and the feeling of failure was starting to upset him. But he kept searching.

Rusl and Telma were pressing against different bricks on the wall, trying to find any sort of mechanism. They, too, felt failure upon them.

"This room's no good, hon." Telma finally admitted, turning to Auru. "We should head back."

"No. Not yet." Auru replied, just as he came across a set of symbols written in a strangely familiar language. "I think I've found something over here."

The other two walked over to where he stood, wondering what it was he saw. Telma held up a lantern to the wall, and several symbols appeared. She instantly recognized the language they were written in, and was so shocked she almost dropped the lantern.

"They're in ancient Hylian." She stammered.

"I can't read it." Rusl said.

"It says: 'Those who seek power have already bypassed it.'" Telma read. "'Turn back from where you came, and you will find the answer.'"

"Go back?" Auru was confused. Rusl scratched his head, trying to put it all together.

_How far back?_

"Well," He said. "Let's just head back to the main room. Maybe Link's group has found something."

* * *

"Well, this was a waste of time, yeah?" Ashei complained. They had traveled to the far side of the Temple, nearly got killed by a falling ceiling over a checkered floor, and were now on their way back to the main room to report their failure.

"I bet he chose Nayru because he likes her more than me." Ilia said sadly.

Zelda simply ignored their pathetic comments and continued leading them through the Temple. Ilia had been no help at all, and it was a wonder she hadn't used her teleportation powers to send her back to Kakariko. Ashei, however, was the biggest help of them all. She had saved Zelda's life just before the checkered ceiling came down on top of her, landing both of them in a very awkward situation, and Ilia's rude comment was no help at all.

_"Alright, you saved the princess." Ilia said. "Now let's get moving. You two can make out later."_

Zelda was still fuming over her comment. Ashei found the whole predicament quite disturbing, whereas Zelda was rather insulted and was ready to kill Ilia on the spot. Yet here she was, walking with them.

They entered the room just as Auru and his group had done the same. Link was standing in the center of the room, trying to redirect light with his sword. The other two were watching him.

_They must have found a clue. _Zelda thought.

Suddenly, a blinding light attacked her eyes. She hadn't noticed the earlier light, but now that it was getting brighter, she prefered the darker version of this room. Finally, the light faded, revealing a glowing leaf symbol on the northern wall, a tall elevator in the center of the room, and a beaming Link, who was clearly proud of his work.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Link said. "Our carriage awaits."

* * *

_**OK, I can easily explain why this took forever. First off, I haven't been able to write much because I've been busy living life. Second, I'm trying to slowly increase the size of the chapters until I reach a minimum 10000 words, so they'll be longer as I go along.**_

_**I hope I left you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger here, although I did reveal who was going to be fighting Link and the group earlier on in the chapter. **_

_**As always, please enjoy this chapter, and don't forget to review! I love constructive criticism!**_


	11. Chapter 10: Link vs Ilia

The elevator ride didn't take long, but with nine people it took around 10 minutes to get everyone down. The elevator was built to only hold one person.

As soon as everyone had gotten down, they faced yet another puzzle. This one, however, was more obvious. The entire room was basically a giant spinner, with three large pillars on a triangular angle. It was easy to see that the objective of the puzzle was to move the pillars out of the way so they could continue. The only hard part was how to do it. The pillars were easily 10 tons of pure stone, and moving them would take either a miracle or magic. Zelda seemed to be the only magic-wielder in the group, but she didn't have that much power to move a 10-ton stone block.

Link carefully observed the mechanism of the room, locating several large cracks in the floor between the pillars. At this, he moved up to one of the pillars, ignoring Ilia's snotty comment about how he would never be able to move it.

"Just watch me." Link snapped.

Placing both hands firmly on the pillar, he began to push against it, hoping it would move. Surprisingly, it did, and quite easily, too. He turned back to his friends, expecting them to have surprised looks on their faces. But all he saw was fear.

"What?"

The group instantly drew their weapons, confusing Link even more? Had they just betrayed him? Or-

"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAR!"

Link whirled around, weapons drawn, to face what had just roared at him. It didn't take long for him to realize what the creature actually was, since he had fought a much larger, dead version of it in the Arbiter's Grounds nearly two years ago: A Stallord. A LIVE Stallord.

The Stallord swung its massive hand at Link, hoping for a kill, but the young Hylian jumped out of the way with ease. It roared, and entered further into the room, trying to flatten every person in sight. The group tried their best not to get killed, but with such a large creature filling up half the room, it was near impossible.

Ilia swung her small sword around, trying to hack at the Stallord's feet, but the attacks did little to stun the creature. In return, the Stallord whacked her with its hand, sending her flying across the room and into a magic barrier created by Zelda, saving her life. As she tried to stand, Zelda motioned for her to stay down.

"Leave this to us!" She said. "You're not ready to fight this kind of creature!"

Ilia threw her sword point-down into the ground and sat down to watch the fight. Her eyes darted to and from several people, hitting Link most of the time. She was so angry at him, so utterly flustered that he would ignore her like this, that she just wanted to kill him.

She WANTED to kill him.

Ilia jumped at this thought. She had never, EVER thought of killing anyone, let alone Link. Yet, here she was, trapped in her thoughts as she watched the Stallord take a swing at Link, knocking him back. She laughed.

She LAUGHED.

Why was she doing this? She was laughing when Link got hurt, and she was wishing she could kill him. But why?

_"Because I told you to."_

She jumped. That wasn't her own thought. That was someone else's thought. It had to be, but it sounded exactly like her.

_"You can do it. You deserve revenge."_

Ilia couldn't believe the things she was thinking. Did she want revenge?

_"Yes, you do. Kill him."_

She slowly rose to her feet, taking a knife out of her pocket and began moving towards Link. She walked slowly and gracefully, the Stallord and the group barely paying attention to her. As she neared Link, however, she heard her name being called by an unfamiliar voice. It sounded snakelike, yet human as well, as if it were a golden serpent sent from the heavens. Which, unknowingly to her, it was.

_"Ilia, restrain yourself." _The voice cooed. _"You are being controlled. Fight against the darkness!"_

The voice was drowned out as a scream of pain came from Link. Ilia had cut at him, grazing his sword arm and turning part of his tunic sleeve blood-red. He whirled around, seeing Ilia prepare for another attack, and grabbed the knife from her hands.

"Ilia," Link shouted. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you? You cut me!"

Suddenly he stopped short. He had seen this Ilia before. White eyes, the knife, the lust for revenge, it was all there. Where had he seen this version of her?

_That vision. The one Lanayru showed me. So it was a prophecy._

Realizing the horror he now faced, he turned and plunged his sword into the Stallord's foot, forcing it to fall to its knees. Link took the shot and ran around to the head, shoving the sword into it and sending blood and brain juices at his face. He had punctured the skull.

Once he knew the creature was dead, he turned to face a pain-stricken Ilia, whose eyes had returned to normal and were now emitting a sad look. Link walked up to her, a half-angry, half-upset expression on his face. Ilia flinched as he laid a hand on her shoulder and knelt down.

"Look at me." He said. She didn't look at him. "Look at me!" He forced her head up, her eyes meeting his. "Tell me. Just what in Din's name is wrong with you? Why did you cut me?"

She stayed silent.

"Don't play this card again, Ilia. Tell me right NOW. What happened to you?"

"Shut up."

Link stood up, letting Ilia go. He turned to the door he had opened, as if waiting for another Stallord to come crashing through. When none did, he turned back to the group and glared.

"One of you take her back up and head back to Kakariko. Use Telma's horse, not mine, and make sure you leave the cart. I'm done dealing with her."

"About time you said that." Rusl said. "Come on, Ilia. Let's get you back to your father."

"NO!" Ilia screamed. She tried pushing past Rusl, trying to get to Link. Her eyes flashed white for a brief moment, then returned to their normal blue and watered up. It wasn't the first time Link had seen her cry, but it was the last for now. When Rusl and Ilia were out of sight (Somehow they managed to squeeze together onto the elevator), Link signaled for the rest to follow him down the corridor he had opened.

Each one of them trembled as Link and Auru opened the massive door before them. Was the one who threatened them more powerful than the Stallord from earlier? None of them really wanted to know, but they couldn't deny the inevitable fight they were about to get into.

They still had their weapons drawn as they walked up a stone staircase leading up to the small arena ahead. Their eyes were fixed on the path up, and none of them averted their gaze and ran back down from fear. They were going to face this thing head-on.

When they reached the top, an iron gate closed behind them, shutting them in. Before them, a lone figure with a green hooded cloak stood facing away from them. The group didn't bring down their defenses though; that could lead to some serious trouble. Instead, they held their battle stances and waited for the figure to attack.

"I'm still amazed that you survived, Hero." The hooded figure said, revealing himself to be a man. "Even after 400 feet like that? It's really puzzling."

"I could say the same about you," Link snapped. "Considering the fact that your ancestors were virgins when mine killed them."

"Were they?" The man turned and lowered his hood, shocking the group with his scarred Elven features. "No. They had families. Families who loved them. Now they hate one thing." He disappeared in a mist of leaves, which began floating around the room in a group, following a strange shadow. The shadow moved down and stood in front of Link, bright red eyes staring into his soul.

"They hate you." He said coldly, then floated back into the air, landing just above the golden fence surrounding the arena.

"They want your blood." The man continued, pacing the fence. "They want the bloodline of the Hero to be diminished. The only way to do that is-"

"-To kill me?" Link finished. "I know the story. I know what you want. You want more than my blood. You want the Triforce of Power."

"Seems those pathetic goddesses like to tell you everything." The man was behind the group now. "Yes, we, the Black Mesa, want the Triforce of Power. It is the first key to gaining access to the ultimate power, a power far greater than that goddess-forsaken Master Sword you keep in Hyrule."

The man flew back to the spot the group had met him in, and returned to his solid form. He pulled out a small, golden shard and held it in front of them.

"I could leave with the Shard right now." He chuckled. "But I have orders to kill all of you. I will not leave until those orders are carried out."

"Just who gave you those orders?" Telma snapped.

The man smiled and let out a small chuckle that filled the room. He cloaked the Shard and drew his sword, a longsword with a two-handed black hilt and a green, glowing arrow on either side of the blade.

"If you survive," He sneered. "I'll tell you."

He lunged.

* * *

It was like reliving a nightmare.

Link and Ganondorf locked blades, pushing against each other, trying to get an opening for a few hits. Surrounding them were his friends this time, not a magic wall with Zelda on the other side. Ganondorf had the upper hand now. He kicked Link down, ready for the kill. But he never got the chance.

Link plummeted towards the stony ground below, preparing to become a permanent stain. When he hit, however, he found he was alive, and strangely enough, in the Eldin Spring. He stood up, his body instantly drying, and faced the green-cloaked man in the Temple.

The battle was bloody as soon as it started. Nayru was shooting magic spells she didn't even know she knew at the man, who in turn used his own as protection against her as he fought the others.

Link came from behind, hoping to gain the kill, but was instantly thrown out of the way by one of Nayru's spells.

"Sorry!" She cried.

Link got back up, dazed, and sheathed his sword and shield. He pulled out a bow, fitted an arrow to the bowstring, and pulled back. He waited for Nayru to finish one of her spells before finally letting the arrow fly, hitting the man in the right shoulder, disabling his sword arm. The man turned to face his attacker, angry that someone had finally hit him. He yanked the arrow out of his shoulder, dropped it on the ground, and lunged towards the Hylian. He was about a foot away from Link when he was knocked back by an invisible barrier. Link looked over to see Zelda pulling back the magical barrier. She nodded, and prepared to lash out again if needed.

The man stood up, leaning against his sword for support. He looked at the group of warriors, who were still ready to take him on.

"So," He said. "You think swords and magic are enough to defeat Donovan, Elven member of the Black Mesa?"

"You are a traitor to our people, Donovan." Nayru said defiantly. "You deserve to die, and we will finish you and take the Shard."

Donovan laughed maniacally. The laughing was so loud, it echoed throughout the Temple and out into the woods, covering the land in a laughter that went from maniacal to hysterics. Even Rusl and Ilia, who were now just exiting the woods on Telma's horse, heard the laughter.

"You are no match for me." Donovan said. "None of you are."

"Actually," Link said. "I am."

Suddenly the room grew dark, and Donovan froze in fear of what was happening. Then, out of nowhere, two golden triangles came at him from either side and trapped him, locking his magic and rendering him helpless as Link lunged at him, sword drawn. He did a series of slashes on Donovan's body, sneaking the Shard out of his robe in the process, then used a Mortal Draw to finish the Mage. Donovan went flying across the room, crashing into the wall and falling onto the cold stone below.

Link held up the Shard, lighting up the room with its power. The others watched in awe as the Triforce Shard glowed, and then faded out until it was barely enough to illuminate the room so the group could see.

"One down," Telma said joyfully. "Seven more to go."

Link pocketed the Shard in his pouch, and was about to head down the now-reopened stairway when a greenish glow appeared behind him. He reached for his sword, but the glow was coming from Nayru, who was now floating.

_"Thank you." _Nayru said. _"Now that the Shard is in your care, I can awaken as the Sage of Maraden."_

"Nayru," Zelda said. "It has been an honor to fight by your side."

_"Same to you." _She smiled, then turned to Link. _"Link, when you have awakened the other Sages and found all the Shards, go to the shrine we were at earlier today. You will know what to do. We must get the ultimate power before the Black Mesa, or the world will be destroyed. Do you understand?"_

"Yes, Nayru." Link said respectfully.

Out of nowhere, a portal appeared on the far side of the room, opposite the stairs. Nayru gestured to it, directing the groups attention to the portal.

_"This portal will take you outside the Temple. From there, go to Corea, home of the Rito. The next Shard awaits you there." _The group started for the portal. _"But be warned. The Black Mesa will know of Donovan's death, and they will make sure that what has transpired here never happens again. Watch your backs."_

With that, she disappeared in a cloud of leaves. The group took a moment to register what had just happened, then one by one went through the portal. Link was the last to go through, making sure no one followed them. The portal vanished, and the room returned to darkness.

* * *

When Link appeared at the bottom of the stairs, he was surprised to see Ilia leap into his arms and give him the biggest hug she could muster. Link was taken aback, trying to register what was happening. He returned the hug for a brief moment, then let go.

"Why haven't you left yet?" He asked her.

"We were at the edge of the woods when we heard the laughter. We figured you were all dead, so we came to check." Her eyes filled with tears, and she began to cry. Link took her back into his arms and held her there for a while, letting her cry into his shoulder. Zelda watched all of this happen, her own tears welling up inside her. But hers were not tears of joy, like Ilia's. Her tears were of sadness. She knew why, though. She was jealous of Ilia.

Rusl called out something about the wagons being ready to go, bringing Zelda out of her thoughts and Link and Ilia out of their embrace. Remembering where they needed to go, Link volunteered to steer Epona for the day, and left Ilia to get up onto the driver's seat. Zelda immediately saw this as an opportunity to sit with Link and talk to him, so she quickly took it just as Ilia found herself climbing into the back of Telma's wagon.

Once everyone was seated, Link cracked the reins and started back down the winding path to the city, Telma a few feet behind.

* * *

"They did WHAT?"

Kyrus was fuming. Never before had any of his friends failed him, and Donovan was no exception. But today, Donovan had come back barely alive and Shardless.

"They took the Shard." Donovan repeated himself. "One of them used a Triforce Mortal Draw against me. I don't even know where he got that move."

"He?" Kyrus was intrigued now. Whoever this man was could be a powerful ally to the Black Mesa. For even a highly trained soldier, to defeat one of his friends was no simple task. But then his eyes widened.

"Did you say," He said. "TRIFORCE Mortal Draw?"

"Y-yes, Kyrus. That's the attack he used to defeat me."

"I'm surprised you're not dead yet." Kyrus paced the floor, putting the pieces all together. 'He' used the 'Triforce Mortal Draw'. HE used it.

_Link._

Realizing this sudden horror, he whirled around to face Donovan, his eyes fierce and... glowing.

_"Stay here and recover." _He said in the snakelike version of his voice. _"Zane will deal with Link. He won't escape us this time."_

"Yes, Kyrus." Donovan said, his eyes catching Kyrus' fading to normal.

Kyrus pulled out a small ball and held it in front of him. The mist inside swirled around until finally, a vision of Zane and the other members of the Black Mesa could be seen. Zane was in front, red hood down, holding a similar ball. Donovan could see his birdlike features, indicating that he was a Rito of Corea. The other members behind him were also unhooded, but their races were very different.

"Zane," Kyrus said, his tone commanding. "I want you all to leave Hyrule Castle, and go to your own countries. Blend in with your people and do what you can to find the Triforce of Power, and somehow get rid of the Hero and his friends. He is, somehow, still alive."

"Yes, Kyrus. We will decide upon what to do with Link before we leave. It won't be but a few moments."

The ball faded, and Kyrus pocketed the object back into his robes. Then he turned to Donovan and glared.

"Follow them. Do not make your presence known. When you reach Corea, find Zane and follow his lead. Make no mistakes this time."

"Yes, Kyrus." Donovan said, then turned to leave. Kyrus stopped him.

"If you fail again, I will kill you."

* * *

Fado and his search party were growing tired. They had traveled all the way to the border of Hyrule and Maraden, and still there was no sign of Link's party. They were beginning to wish they could go back to Kakariko, but Renado made it clear to them that they were not to return until Ilia was with them. To Fado, it sounded like an order, as if he were acting more like a King than a shaman.

_Oh well, _He thought. _At least we get the exercise._

As they walked, Fado could barely make out the shapes of two wagons in the distance, making him wonder. He took out a Hawkeye that he had bought from Malo Mart and put it to his eyes, adjusting the focus and distance. Sure enough, the wagons belonged to Link's party. Nearly leaping for joy, Fado called out for his party to follow him.

"We've found them!"

The small band of searchers, their joy overwhelming, started running all the way to the wagons, hoping to catch up with them before too long. Their shouts and whoops of joy echoed throughout the countryside, itching to reach Link's party and stop them before they went any further.

At the wagons, Link was hearing strange yells coming from his left. The others could hear them too, but it was Link who was able to figure out what was making the noises. He didn't like it.

"Bokoblins." He said, and sure enough, several figures came into view, screaming and calling out to them.

"They don't look armed." Zelda said.

"Must be renegades." Telma said from behind Link's wagon. "But why would they be in Maraden? They're native to Hyrule."

"Maybe it's a different kind of bokoblin." Link said as he jumped from his seat and drew his sword. "This won't take long."

As Link ran towards them, he remembered something about bokoblins. Whatever type they were, they did NOT travel in packs, but bulblins did. The figures were still too far away for Link to see what they really were, so he assumed they were renegade bulblins and continued his advance.

Suddenly, he realized something else. His heroic instinct, implying that something was wrong, had not surfaced when his group spotted the figures. It was simply the noises that alarmed him. He slowed, but only a little bit as he came closer to the figures.

He stopped entirely when he realized exactly what the figures actually were. Humans, and not just any. It was Fado, Barnes, and several others whom he assumed were from Kakariko. He sheathed his sword, smiling as he did so, and asked Fado what they were doing all the way out in Maraden.

"We're here to find Ilia and take her home." Fado replied. "I assume she's with you?"

"Yes." Link said, looking rather grim. He briefly went back to the vision Lanayru had shown him, with Ilia's possessed face and the deadly knife she had produced from out of nowhere. He then jumped to the same vision from the Temple, in which Ilia had cut his arm in an attempt to kill him.

_"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? You cut me!"_ Link grimaced. He had cursed before, but never in front of a lady, especially five of them. It was just something that he did with other guys, just to be courteous to the ladies.

Link led Fado and the other members of Fado's party to the wagons, where he stopped and called for Ilia to step out. When she did, she took one small look at Fado and froze, her eyes wide.

"What are they doing here?" She demanded.

"They're here to take you home." Link replied darkly. He knew instantly what she was going to do next: Throw a fit.

But she didn't. She simply stood there and eyed the men suspiciously. Half of them were just farmers or store managers, and the other half were village members. How they got here without weapons was completely beyond her, though.

"Why do they want to take me home?" She asked coldly.

"Ilia," Fado said. "Your father is heartbroken. You left him without him knowing, and now he can barely function. He's already lost you once, he can't bear to lose you again."

"Ilia, listen." Rusl said. "Did you even consider what would happen to your father when you left?"

"N-no." Ilia suddenly realized the pain she may have just put her father through. "I just wanted to come with Link. I just wanted to have an adventure with him."

"Ilia," Link said. "You know what happened back at the Temple. That was the reason I didn't want you to come in the first place, because I knew you would be in danger. You're a village girl, Ilia. Not a warrior like us."

Ilia slowly made her way over to Fado, who had his arms outstretched to hug her. She accepted the embrace, crying her heart out as they turned and began the trek home.

_Why is he doing this to me?_

As Link watched them walk away, a cold, feminine voice startled him.

"So, just like that?" Zelda said, making Link jump. "You tell her you'll train her, and then you break your promise several times, and just... give her up?"

"I did it to protect her."

"So it was on purpose?"

"Zelda, you of all people should understand why I did it. I only wanted warriors on this mission, not village girls and children."

"Fine." Zelda grabbed Epona's reins before Link realized he was still standing on the ground. "You're walking, and I'll make sure you walk until we reach Corea."

She started off, Telma following close behind and Link trudging after them.

* * *

It was nighttime when the group finally decided to stop and rest. They were still miles away from Corea, which was south of Maraden. They were in a small, hilly biome, somewhere on the outskirts of Maraden. There weren't any civilizations nearby, as all of them were in forests miles away from the group in every direction.

Zelda sat alone by the campfire, the others either on watch, planning their stay in Corea, or simply asleep. She was relaying over what she had said to Link earlier that day, after Ilia had been sent home with Fado and his search party. She felt extremely guilty for getting angry at Link, but she knew it was necessary. He needed to be reminded to keep his promises.

She didn't notice Link step out of his tent until he was standing next to her, asking if he could sit down. She reluctantly allowed him to, despite the fact that she was still angry at him. They sat there for a while, not speaking or acknowledging each other, until Link muttered something Zelda couldn't quite hear.

"What?"

"I said, 'I think I'm drifting further away from Ilia.'"

Zelda realized she had zoned out when he had first said the phrase, which was why she had to ask him to repeat it.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"She's never acted this way before. Always wanting to get her way wasn't something she ever really did, and now..." His voice drifted off.

"She's not the same anymore, is she?" Zelda finished. She knew exactly what he was trying to say, but he was so heartbroken, which made it was difficult.

"She seems to have grown a mutual attachment to you." She continued. "She wants to make something special of your friendship, but you keep shutting her out, and it hurts her inside."

"I know." Link stared into the fire, his mind racing. "I just can't live like that anymore."

"Like what?" Zelda became curious.

"Like a farm boy." Link nearly spat these words out of his mouth.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing!" Link was getting flustered now. "It's just... I've developed a sort of instinct to danger, and whenever I get a feeling something is wrong, I just... I have to help, you know?"

Zelda thought about this for a moment. Link had lived 17 years of his life as a farm boy, and yet the last two years that had just passed transformed him into a completely different person. She didn't mind as much as Ilia did, but she didn't want his life to go in a direction he didn't want to go in. And yet, she had a strange feeling that maybe, just maybe, he had gotten used to heroics for a different reason. She wanted to find out.

"Link, I know this is hard on you. You're losing your friend because of what you do. To be honest, I think you're quite lucky."

"What do you mean, 'lucky'?"

"Well," Zelda struggled for the right way to go about this. "You've actually had friends before. You know what it's like to gain and lose friends. I never got that luxury."

"Must be hard, sitting in a castle all day. No friends to talk to, no massive adventures to go on. All you've done your whole life is lead Hyrule."

"And now I don't even have that." Zelda's eyes watered up, and she began to cry. She buried her face in her hands and let the tears flow through her fingers and onto the ground. Link felt a pang of guilt for saying what he just said, and immediately forced himself to apologize.

"I get it." He said. "You're worried about Hyrule. You want your people to live a life of peace and happiness, not darkness and slavery and..." His voice drifted off, but Zelda knew what he was going to say.

"War." She knew war would come. She knew the soldiers of Hyrule would ally with the people and attack Kyrus and the Black Mesa. But would they win? Could they? What if Kyrus used his power to summon demons or monsters to serve him? Neither the people nor the soldiers had enough wits to fight off monsters. They were just too scared.

Link sat there, watching the slowly dying fire, his mind racing to find answers.

_How long do I have to find the Triforce of Power?_

_What kind of power lies behind the shrine's lock?_

_What will Kyrus do if I fail?_

As he pondered these questions, another question burned into his memory, jerking him back to reality.

_Where are the Sages of Arbiter's Grounds?_

He hadn't really thought about the other Sages since before the Celebration began. Where were they? Surely they would have protected Hyrule from Kyrus, because then he and his friends wouldn't be out finding the Triforce of Power! But they were searching. Which meant something must have happened to the Sages if they were.

"Link?"

"Hmm?" He looked over at Zelda.

"Are you alright?" She had stopped crying now, but her voice was still a bit shaky.

"I'm fine." He would tell her later.

"You're worried about something."

_Am I THAT readable? _He thought. He knew he'd have to tell her sooner or later. Might as well be now, so he could get it off his chest.

"I... I think the Sages are in trouble."

"Which ones?"

"The ones from Hyrule. The ones guarding the Mirror Chamber." Zelda suddenly gasped.

"You mean... You think they were..." She swallowed hard. "Killed?"

"It's possible. Why else would we be out here?"

_"The Triforce of Power must be returned."_

Link jumped at the voice, but soon realized it was just Fi. The spirit hopped out of his pouch from the Ocarina of Time and stood - or rather, floated - before them. Link and Zelda looked at her in awe, but at the same time were rather frightened.

_"The Triforce of Power cannot stay separate any longer. It MUST be returned to it's original state. Then it must join with the other two pieces and open the gateway to the ultimate power."_

"Fi," Zelda said. "How long do we have before Kyrus wages war?"

_"I do not know. He will only wage war if the people get restless. His followers, the Black Mesa, will do the same if we do not act __quickly."_

"Fi," Link said, and the spirit turned to him. "What is the ultimate power?"

* * *

_**I'm very sorry this took so long. I've been busy with summer lately, and I've been in a bit of a rut with the story (In other words, I've had quite the case of Writer's Block). I've even come close to canceling the story, but when I logged on and saw ZeldaFan's new review on Chapter 10, I realized I needed to keep going. Thank you all so much for supporting the story, and a special thanks to ZeldaFan for getting me back on my feet! ****  
**_

_**PS: I ended this chapter like I did on purpose. Mwahahahahahahaha suspense!**_


	12. Chapter 11: Information in Corea

_**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS TWO VERY MINOR SWEAR WORDS.**_

* * *

Talo was up in his favorite spot in Kakariko. He had the highest area in the village: The rooftop of an old storage house. It wasn't exactly a rooftop anymore, though. Renado had given Talo permission to use the roof however he liked, so he and his father built a small "fortress" on his guard post, and even added a fence for safety measures.

Malo found the fortress idea quite fascinating, but didn't have the money or permission from Talo to build onto it; he was too busy running his shop. So he came up with an ingenius plan.

First, he had the Gorons (Who were excellent builders, actually) get Talo's permission to rebuild the "fortress" into a bigger, more stable building. Talo quickly agreed - to Malo's delight - and the Gorons got to work instantly.

Second, he secretly created several flyers for this project, and hired a postman to deliver them to CastleTown, where his customers would be able to sponsor the project. This was done in a matter of days, and soon money began flowing into Malo's shop, which he used to buy more materials and supplies for the fortress.

Third, he began planning out the plans for extensions of the fortress onto the other side of Kakariko, along the walls of the village, and into Death Mountain territory.

Finally, he put his plan to action.

* * *

"My lord!" A soldier was running through the halls of Hyrule Castle, holding a sheet of paper in his hand. His armor clanked as he ran, echoing the hallways with its noise.

"Lord Kyrus!" He burst into the Throne Room, where Kyrus sat at his throne, tapping his fingers.

"What is it?" Kyrus asked. "I'm rather tired today, so I'd like to be alone."

"Forgive me, my lord," The soldier said. "But I found this on one of the walls of the Town." He held out the paper.

Kyrus took the paper and studied the careful writing on it. It was in Hylian, so he handed the paper back to the soldier.

"Read it."

The soldier cleared his throat and began to read.

_"Attention all citizens of CastleTown!_

_"Malo Mart is holding a fundraiser for building a new defense system in Kakariko, the home town of your beloved sundries shop. If you would be so kind as to donate some money to this project, you will not be sorry. Any excess money will also be used to supply more Malo Mart products, including new shields for the knights of Hyrule. So please, donate your time and money to help Kakariko and Malo Mart!_

_"Yours truly, _

_"Malo"_

The soldier rolled up the paper and waited for Kyrus to respond. He only waited a few seconds before Kyrus stood up, his face lit with an idea.

"If the little businessman can get a defense system up in Kakariko," He thought aloud. "Then he should be able to get a fortress up in Ordona as well." He turned to the soldier, who nodded and quickly stood at attention.

"Get some soldiers ready. We're going to go to Kakariko."

* * *

"Hey, guys!" Talo cried from his post. Beth, Colin and Malo were down below, discussing certain business matters, when Talo called out to them.

"Come see who's come back!"

As soon as he said "come back", the kids immediately ran towards the northern gate, where Fado and his group had just turned the corner with a distraught Ilia trudging along behind them. Her face lit up, however, when she saw the children running towards her, and waited with open arms to greet them.

Bo heard the loud cheers from the children outside and walked towards the door to find out what was going on. He had only opened the door a few inches when he heard "Ilia" being said by Beth, and ran outside to see if his daughter had returned. Sure enough, there she was, though despite her cheerfulness, she had a look of sadness about her.

"Ilia!" Bo called.

Upon hearing her father, she jumped up and ran right into his arms, receiving the hug that he had offered.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered through her tears.

"I forgive you." Bo replied. "But please, don't do that again. I thought I'd lost you forever."

The kids decided to leave the two to themselves, and went back to discussing matters of the quickly expanding fortress.

"So, Malo." Talo said. "Colin says you've got something to do with this massive fortress."

"I figured I would take advantage of this oppurtunity for business," Malo replied. "So I sent flyers to CastleTown to help sponsor the project. Without me, this fortress would not have been possible, even in your imagination."

"So what are you going to do with the excess money?" Beth asked.

"I plan on using it for expanding and upgrading my business. There are more countries in need of good prices, and I believe Malo Mart can help bring this economically challenged world into a time of satisfaction and happiness. I've already got shops up in Fire City and Dragon Roost of Corea."

"Well, at least Kakariko won't be so defenseless anymore." Talo said happily. "I think I should start up a village guard or something. At least, when the fortress is done, of course."

The kids laughed, but they were cut short by the sound of a trumpet and horse hooves heading right into the village. Several soldiers, along with a hooded man, rode towards the Elde Inn, where Renado had just stepped out to meet them.

The horses stopped, and the hooded man jumped off his own and lowered his hood, taking in the large fortress bridge over his head.

"Who is the master of this operation?" Kyrus asked. He scanned the small crowd of adults, children, and gorons before him. He heard a young voice clear his throat.

"I am." Malo said. Kyrus looked at him and snickered.

"This is a joke." He said. "Surely a child cannot be the mastermind behind all of this."

"I'll have you know," Malo continued, his tone darkening. Clearly he was annoying at the man's disrespect. "I am the owner of a highly praised business, which is slowly spreading to the rest of the world. My name is Malo."

Kyrus glared at him, realizing that this so-called child was not only an intelligent mind, but a businessman. The owner of Malo Mart, to be exact.

"So," He said. "You own Malo Mart?"

"Yes."

"You are the one responsible for this project?"

"What business is it of yours?"

Kyrus chuckled. For a child, he certainly was daring enough to challenge a Mage. He was a child, though. Easily forgiven.

"You see, Malo," He said. "One of my men found a flyer of yours this morning, and I want to make an offer."

"Continue." Malo responded.

"You build a mighty fortress in Ordona Province for my soldiers, and I will give you enough money to turn your small shops into large superstores, with nearly endless supplies to keep your business and your customers happy."

Malo bowed his head in thought.

_This would really boost my business. But I will need the Gorons to agree, not to mention I will probably be indebted to them if they build another fortress for me._

"What if I deny this offer?" Malo asked.

"Then your little business, as well as this village, will crumble to the ground."

Gasps were heard everywhere, even from some of the soldiers. Malo, however, remained silent. He knew this man was a threat to his business and his family, and that he was not a force to be reckoned with. He turned to Darbus, the Goron patriarch, who had been standing with them the entire debate. Darbus nodded his head in approval, and Malo turned back to the man.

"I and the gorons accept your offer, only as long as you keep your end of the deal."

"I shall." Kyrus jumped back onto his horse. "Oh, and one more thing." He put his hood back up. "Be careful around Mages, young master Malo. We are very powerful beings."

Kyrus called to his troops, and the large group turned around and left in the direction they came.

* * *

"What are you thinking, Malo?" Gor Coron asked. He was angry, and he had the tone to prove it. "You intend to work the Gorons to death for your own purposes?"

"I can assure you that I know what I'm doing." Malo replied. "If I had denied his offer, he would destroy everything that we have worked so hard to build. Which includes Death Mountain!"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I may be young, but I am more wise than a lot of adults. I knew that if this man destroyed Kakariko, he would go to Death Mountain as well. Which is why I ask you to finish this fortress and help me build the one in Ordona."

"The boy is right." Renado said. "You Gorons are in as much danger as we are. The only way to protect both of our villages is to do what this man says. Besides, Ordona needs to be rebuilt, correct?"

Gor Coron remained silent, allowing Renado to continue.

"You will help us. Darbus has already agreed to have you do this task-"

"Out of pride!"

"Isn't that what you are known for?"

Again, Gor Coron remained silent.

"Darbus agreed with Malo, and rightfully so. As patriarch of your tribe, it is his responsibility to make sure you remain safe. By deciding to help build the fortress in Ordona, he has just saved not only your lives, but ours as well." Renado cleared his throat and continued. "The lives of our villages depend on Malo and Darbus now. They will make sure this gets done."

"Fine." Gor Coron said. "But, in return, we gorons want payment."

"If I must, I will split the Mage's reward 50/50." Malo said spitefully.

"No, we will not need money." The Elder said. "We require something else."

The village remained silent, waiting for him to speak.

"We want the heads of the Black Mesa."

* * *

"Well, this is a FINE rut you got us into, Link."

The group was sitting in a large prison cell in the Corean capital, Fire City. The cell was under the palace of Corea, far below the surface of the earth. Surrounding them were cells filled with drunk men and rotting flesh. It was a horrid, smelly sight.

"Well, excuse ME, Princess." Link snapped. "It's not like I actually KNEW the Rito Chieftain had been assassinated and replaced by one of the Mesa!"

-ONE WEEK EARLIER-

"Everything's packed!" Rusl called from Telma's wagon. "Let's get moving!"

One by one, the group piled into either wagon, situating themselves as comfortably as they could. Link and Zelda sat next to each other, both thinking about what Fi had told them the previous night.

_"What is the ultimate power?" Link asked._

_"I'm afraid I do not yet know specifically, Master Link." Fi replied. "All I know is that it is a weapon of mass destruction. If used in the wrong hands, the world will be ruined. Which is why we must return the Triforce and the Instruments of Time to the Sacred Realm."_

_"The shrine is in the Sacred Realm?" Zelda was confused. Link had explained to her just before they had left for the Forest Temple what the shrine was and how he and the Sage Nayru had gotten there. He didn't say anything about where the shrine was, though._

_"Yes." Was Fi's reply._

_"Is this weapon similar to the Master Sword?"_

_"No, but it can be combined with the Master Sword if necessary, dealing twice as much damage and protecting it from evil. However, should the two weapons be combined, they cannot be separated or used by anyone except one: the Triforce Guardian."_

_"Triforce Guardian?" Both asked._

_"I cannot say just yet what or who it is. When the time is right, I will reveal such information to you."_

Link shuddered at the thought of such power. This weapon, which he believed to be a sword of some sort, could only be used by a Triforce Guardian. But who was it? What was it? Fi had left them in suspense once again.

The ride continued on for what seemed like hours, but when Rusl called out something about a city, it was really only two o'clock; they had left at noon.

They pulled up to the city gates, where a Rito guard was standing inside a small booth. The guard looked quite tired, but remained at attention, his swollen eyes being his only sign of weakness.

"How many in your party?" The guard asked.

"Two wagons: Four in this one, three in the other." Rusl replied.

"Including drivers?"

"Yes."

"And where are you coming from?"

"Maraden."

The guard looked surprised. This man looked nothing like an Elf.

"You're not Elves, though." He said.

"We were visiting in Maraden for a time." Rusl said. "Some old friends who had moved there."

"And where were you coming from before Maraden?"

Rusl's face went white. He had been trying to avoid this question, and now it was thrust upon him. He knew Coreans didn't like Hylians. They never did. There had been a great feud once between the two countries, and Hyrule had won, leaving Corea to waste. What was with people blaming others for events of the past?

"Sir?" The guard asked again. "Where are you from originally?"

"Hyrule, sir." Rusl said, and mentally slapped himself for it. The guard, however, simply shrugged, wrote something down, and raised the gates for them.

The two wagons went through, traveling through a small village district. They passed several small houses, which were owned by either humans, Hylians, Rito, or the occasional Elf. Rusl was surprised to see fellow Hylians here, since Corea had a huge grudge against them. But Coreans were not racist, so at least that explained a few things.

Link chuckled when he saw a familiar looking shop in the district.

"Hey, Ashei." Link said. Ashei looked up at him tiredly.

"Still think Malo can't handle a business?" He pointed to the shop that was slowly becoming smaller as they rode further away from it. Ashei looked out and saw the shop, then turned and punched Link in the arm.

"Hey, I gotta use that, you know!" Link said. Ashei simply chuckled, remembering how she thought Malo was too young to have his own business. Now she had just seen a Malo Mart in Corea, two hundred miles away from Hyrule.

They stopped outside an extremely large building just outside the main city. Link looked at the sign, reading its contents aloud to himself.

"'Fire City Inn: The Hottest Inn In Fire City.'"

"Are you gonna keep talking to yourself?" Ashei snapped. "Or are you going to help us get the horses to the stables?"

Link rolled his eyes and climbed out of the wagon behind Ashei and Zelda, then went and helped lead the horses out of the road and into the stables.

* * *

Link came out of his room as soon as he had changed out of his old green tunic. He was wearing his red one now, but without the armor and hat. His sword was strapped to his back, but his shield was stored safely away in his pouch. To others, the pouch wouldn't be able to fit any more than a few rupees, or whatever the currency was in Corea, but to him, he could fit just about anything in there. He found it to be a rather wonderful gift from the goddesses.

He walked right into the large library in the inn, where Shad was poring over the massive collection of history books, and Zelda was sitting at a table reading a book she had particular interest in. Link decided not to disturb her, and walked past her without so much as a small tap on her shoulder to let him know he was there.

_She looks rather absorbed._ He thought. _Best just to leave her that way. Besides, we're not going to search for the Shard today._

He walked over to the history section, where Shad was looking through several Corean history books, trying to get as much knowledge as he could from them. Link scanned quickly through the section, only to backtrack to the "O" shelf, where he found a book titled _Old Myths and Legends of the World_. He slid the book out of its place and noticed that there was a ton of dust on the cover.

_Looks like this book hasn't been read in a long time. _

He took a deep breath and blew on the cover, sending the dust back into his face. He coughed, and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. There was only Shad and Zelda in the library, and neither seemed to notice or care. Link chuckled.

_Of course. Bookworms._

He took the book over to Zelda's table and waited for Zelda to look up. When she didn't, he shrugged and opened up the book. The book was written in alphabetical order, so he flipped to the "S" section. There wasn't much there, so he moved to "M". Sure enough, he found the Master Sword on one of the pages, but there wasn't much to read. He was about to move on when he saw a box in the corner of the page titled "See Also". He carefully read each link.

_Hyrule (Pg 208)_

_Triforce (Pg 496)_

_Ultimate Power (Pg 666)_

He stopped at Ultimate Power, then instantly flipped to the page. When he stopped, his hopes for finding answers became reality.

On the page, there was a picture of a long, golden sword with the full Hylian Crest on the hilt. Three jewels were embedded in the hilt. A red jewel at the end, a blue jewel on the left wing, and a green jewel on the right wing. There was also writing on the blade, but it was in ancient Hylian, so he couldn't read it. He tried finding a translation for it, but there was none.

"Shad." Link whispered to his companion, who was now sitting at a table with a massive collection of books. The young man looked up at Link, surprised that he was there, and then replied with a rather annoyed "What?".

"I need you to translate something." Link said. When Shad motioned for him to move to his table, Link picked up the book, marked the page with his thumb and moved.

"What is it?" Shad asked as Link sat down.

"Ancient Hylian. It's on the blade."

"Isn't there a translation in one of the pages?"

"No, I checked. Now what does it say?"

Shad scanned the sword's blade, reading carefully what each symbol said.

"Well, I'll be damned." He said. "This is a sentence not seen or used in over two hundred years!"

"Well, what does it say?" Link said for the second time. He was getting extremely annoyed now.

"It says, "_He who uses the blade of good and evil must sacrifice his own life to save the rest. If he does not, the world will be forever consumed in darkness". _Scary, if you think about it." He wiped his glasses and flipped through the pages.

"There's an entire book's worth of information on this sword!" Shad exclaimed sarcastically. "So much information! You'll have to let me read it when you're done. I'd like to learn more about this."

"Tell you what," Link said. "You hold on to this one if you want. I think I saw another book just on this sword."

Before Shad could jump up to get it himself, Link was already at the shelves, searching for the book he thought existed. He nearly gave up when he glanced at a certain book on the "T" shelf. He pulled it out and read the title: _The Legend of the Guardian Sword._

He looked at the writing below the title: _"__He who uses the blade of good and evil must sacrifice his own life to save the rest. If he does not, the world will be forever consumed in darkness." - Queen Zelda X_

Link carefully opened the book to the first page. It was blank. Link flipped through the entire book, only to find that all the pages were blank. Confused, he turned back to the first page to try again, but this time there was writing. Lots of it. But it wasn't just addressing the reader. No, it was addressing Link specifically, as if it was a letter. Link read on.

_"To the Hero of Time,_

_"If you are reading this, then you must not stop. For by reading this, you will discover what your real destiny is in this world, but only if you choose to follow the words I am about to relay to you._

_"A great danger now threatens this world. Far greater than any danger that you have faced, or ever will face. They are the Black Mesa._

_"The Mesa seeks the Ultimate Power. They are now searching for the full Triforce, which they believe has no master. However, they do not know that the Triforce isn't the only key to the Ultimate Power, which brings you to an advantage._

_"In order to gain access to the Ultimate Power, one must collect the full Triforce, as well as the eight Instruments of Time. Each instrument is owned by a Sage of a certain country. The Princess Zelda of your age is one of these Sages, which I am sure she knows by now."_

Link read through the parts that he already knew about, what his quest was, what to expect, etc. When he came back to unfamiliar territory, he gained more interest.

_"The Ultimate Power is none other than the legendary Guardian Sword. Any being of power may wield it, but it is like the Triforce: A pure heart leads to peace, a cruel heart leads to darkness. The Black Mesa seeks this blade for darkness._

_"The reason they are in need of this blade is because I, your ancestor, used it against them. The Six Sages forged the blade for me, blessing it with unmatchable power. I, however, was the one that cast the spell on it. This spell is written on the cover of this book, as well as on the blade of the Sword._

_"You must understand, Hero, that should you acquire this blade (and I pray that you do), you will have no choice but to use its power against the Mesa. Once they have been destroyed, you must sacrifice your own life or the world will crumble, and the cycle of eternity will be broken to the point where it cannot be mended._

_"The final key factor about the Sword is that it can be combined with the Master Sword. However, this should only be done if the need comes or if the Triforce Guardian has been found. I do not know who the Guardian is, but it is your responsibility as the Hero of Time to aid him and lend him your power. Remember, though, that the Triforce Guardian cannot take away your destiny of sacrifice. I am sorry._

_"If you continue to read, you will find out many facts regarding the Master Sword, the Guardian Sword, the Black Mesa, and the Triforce Guardian._

_"Good luck, my descendant, and may the goddesses guide you to victory."_

_-Link, Hero of Time_

Link sat there, frozen in his seat. There it was, his destiny laid out before him. He just couldn't get the information to sink in fast enough, though. When his strength had finally returned, he closed the book, picked it up and walked out of the library. The librarian was still asleep.

* * *

"Link?" Zelda called through the door. "Link, are you in there?"

"Yes." Link said. "What is it, Princess?"

"Please, Link, just call me Zelda." She paused to hear for Link's answer, but there was only silence. "Can I come in?"

Link quietly walked up to the door and opened it. He didn't let her in, though.

"I was actually going to go for a walk."

"Oh. I see."

"Do you want to come along?" He asked cheerfully. "After Maraden, I don't think I'm going to go outside by myself, especially since there are some Elves here."

Link shut the door quietly, and together the two started down the stairs to the main floor.

"What's wrong with Elves?" Zelda asked. Link wasn't one to be racist.

"It's not that I don't like them, it's just..." He trailed off for a second.

"Nayru?" Zelda guessed.

"Yes."

They passed through the main doors and turned right into the gardens, the city's shadow looming over them in the evening sky. It was quite cool for a hot city, but that was because the village district was further away from the industrial district, which was ten times hotter than Death Mountain. Link wondered how people here got anything done.

"Link," Zelda said nervously. "I just want to say that... over the past few years that we've known each other, I've never given you enough credit for what you've done. You're more of a hero than any other nobleman I've ever met, and you're smarter than them, too."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Link, I think I-"

But Link couldn't hear what she said next. A loud explosion had drowned out the last few words. Upon instinct, Link motioned for Zelda to stay behind him, and drew his sword. Screaming was heard throughout the city, and fire was spreading quickly. Already dozens of Rito were in the action, using waterhoses to put out the flames. Link and Zelda watched as the Rito finished their jobs, the dying flames going out rather quickly. The smoke remained quite thick, though, forcing Link to escort Zelda back to the inn.

"I want to check this out." Link said as they entered.

"Just leave it to them." Zelda replied. "It's their job, not yours."

Link nodded and led Zelda quietly up to her room. The two said a quick goodnight, and when Link was sure Zelda was away from the door, he stealthily made his way down through the main doors and out towards the city.

The smoke was clearing now, but it was still quite thick. Link wrapped his red hat around his nose and mouth like a bandana, then pulled out his Hawkeye and used that to protect his eyes. Surprisingly, his vision was clear through the Hawkeye, but without it he couldn't see ten feet in front of him through the smoke.

He noticed several Corean police moving around, checking the buildings in the explosion site. One of the police was leading a young Elven man out of a house, blankets wrapped around both of them. Others were searching for the original blast zone, and some were holding crossbows and looking around, as if searching for a criminal.

_So the blast was from someone, then. _

"Freeze!" Link froze. He knew where the voice was coming from.

"Turn around!" The policeman said again. Link turned around. He didn't see a policeman, though. This man was of a higher status. Government official, perhaps, and pointing a crossbow in his face.

"Who are you?" The official demanded.

"My name is Link." He replied, forgetting that Coreans didn't like Hylians for a war that had left Corea a wasteland, Hyrule not much better.

"Where are you residing?"

"The Fire City Inn."

"You're a civilian?" The official lowered his weapon. "What the hell are you doing out here, son? And why do you have a sword?"

"I'm not from Corea, and I'm no civilian." Link said. "I'm a Hylian warrior and an ally of justice on a quest for peace."

"Bah, Hylians." The man scoffed. "A bunch of proud, headstrong idiots, the lot."

"You must be thinking of the Gorons."

"Gorons? Never heard of 'em. It's either human, Hylian or Elven immigrants here." The man glanced at Link's hand. "Say, you aren't one of the regular Hylians, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you got the Triforce on your hand there, so I figured maybe you were the Hero of Time or something."

"I am." Link smiled, glad that this man's tone had eased up.

"What did you say you were doing out here?"

"I'm on a quest to find a legendary power and destroy the Black Mesa."

"The what?" The man's voice quivered. "Listen, son. Around here, we don't talk about them freely. In fact, I don't think anyone in this world does. Just be careful, OK?"

"Got it." Link turned to proceed. The man tried to stop him, but no words would come out of his mouth. When Link had turned a corner, the man reluctantly pulled out a small blue stone and spoke a name into it. Soon, a hooded Rito appeared in the stone.

"What is it?" Zane asked.

"I have learned of their location. They are all here in the city, in the Fire City Inn in the village district. Link is alone, checking out the explosion site."

"Good. Don't do anything just yet. Wait for my next orders."

"Yes, sir." The Rito disappeared, and the man went back about his business.

* * *

Link was inspecting a small, black dent in the road. He could easily identify this spot as the blast zone, since there were huge, black chunks of stone missing from the surrounding buildings. He was able to take off his "mask" now; the smoke was clear.

The dent he found here was similar to two others on nearby streets. Small, black, and perfectly circular, which was odd since almost no circle was ever perfect. But something was wrong. He had only heard one explosion, and yet there were three fresh dents in the ground. Three. Which meant the explosives had to have blown at the same time, which was next to physically impossible with today's technology.

It was getting dark now, and Link was growing tired. His limbs were beginning to ache, and he really needed to use the bathroom. He quickly backtracked to the inn, careful to avoid any policemen or officials that were around. When he entered the inn, he quietly walked over to a bathroom and locked himself in.

After relieving himself, he made his way to the stairs, passing the library in the process. Zelda was back inside, and Shad was still sitting in the same place he was earlier that day, although his pile of books was smaller now. There was no one else in there, save a new librarian who was reading a rather large book.

_How does he read those so fast?_

Remembering he had his own book to read, he ran silently up the stairs to the second floor and entered his bedroom. He slid the large book out from underneath his bed, opened it up to the second page, and began to read.

_The Legend of the Guardian Sword_

_SECTION ONE: THE BLACK MESA_

_In the year 735, in the land of Alkor, a group of young men and women formed a small group known as the Black Mesa. These people were each of a different race, but were more commonly known as Mages. These Mages practiced black magic, hence their name Black Mesa. For several long years, the Mesa trained themselves in the ways of the Dark Arts, and were soon able to use this magic for their purpose: To darken the world._

_Their goal was not as easy as they had expected, though. In order to permanently darken the world, a person with a cruel heart must lay his wish upon the sacred golden relic, the Triforce. However, they can only do this when the relic is in one piece. Which left the Mesa at a disadvantage._

_The Mesa was not disheartened at this, however. They knew where to find each piece of the Triforce, and so they traveled for two years to the land of Hyrule._

Link skipped through the parts he already knew, and continued reading after the part where the Mesa is destroyed.

_Although the original Mesa was dead, their children survived, and eventually took up black magic as well, tampering with it and turning it into a power no man could easily refuse._

_Over the years, the Black Mesa has slowly gained strength, making it a menace to whomever faces it. _

Link decided to skip the rest of the Black Mesa section and flipped through to a new section. He stopped at the very last section, the Triforce Guardian.

_SECTION FOUR: THE TRIFORCE GUARDIAN_

Link shifted in his bed to get a more comfortable position, then began to read. Only he didn't read anything. Instead, he suddenly felt a queasy feeling and blacked out just as the book fell to the floor.

He found himself in a large, familiar area, although he had never actually been to it before in his lifetime. It was a small grove of trees, with a large tree in the center. This particular tree had a face on it, though. An old, wisened face that made it look as though it were several hundred years old. But that wasn't all he saw.

In front of the tree, nine figures were fighting each other in a battle for power. Link recognized his ancestor immediately, as he had the same green tunic as him. The other figure fighting at his side was a tall man with a white tunic, yellow eyes and wielding a golden sword with a somewhat familiar design. They were easily outnumbered by seven hooded people, whom Link realized were the members of the first Black Mesa. But there was something strange about them all, something that intrigued Link to the point where curiosity took over.

HE himself was the green-garbed man, fighting KYRUS and the Black Mesa of his day and age. But the tall one... who was he?

_He must be the Triforce Guardian._

"You are correct." A voice boomed through the battle, though no one else heard it. Link looked around, searching for the voice, stopping only to see that the large tree had a mouth, and it was moving.

"Who... who are you?" Link stammered. "What is this?"

"I am known as the Great Deku Tree, although in your time I do not exist." The tree replied. "What you witness now is a mixture of the past, the present, and the future.

"I am from the past. These people in this battle are from the present. This battle is from the future.

"The tall man you see is none other than the Triforce Guardian, although that is not what he truly looks like. When the time is right, you will find him and see what his true form is.

"Beware, though, that when this battle takes place, you and the Guardian will be alone against them. None of your friends will be able to enter this realm. Not even Princess Zelda.

"Now go, young Hero. Face your destiny. Find the Triforce and save the world!"

Link's vision fazed out, and he woke up in a cold sweat on the floor of his room. He felt something hard underneath him, and he reached under and pulled out the book, which was open to a page with only a small message.

_Power. Wisdom. Courage. Together, these triangles make the Triforce. Find them, and return to the shrine with the other eight Sages._

_Where am I supposed to find the next Shard in this giant city?_ Link thought. He looked at the book again, and a new message replaced the first one.

_Find the Rito Chieftain. He will know where the Shard lies. He will also know where the second Sage is. Good luck, Hero of Time._

Then the words faded out, and the original text came back into view.

Thinking he was just having a bad dream, he climbed back into bed, not worrying about undressing or sliding under the covers.

* * *

_**Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. They're just getting longer and longer!**_

_**Quick question: Who do you think the Triforce Guardian might be?**_

_**A) ILIA**_

_**B) ZELDA**_

_**C) LINK**_

_**D) SOMEONE ELSE**_

_**Leave your answers in the reviews, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**_

_**-Legends :)**_


	13. Chapter 12: Criminal Acts of Justice

_**OK, I'm not going to warn you guys of language anymore, but I promise it will stay as brief as possible.**_

_**Also, to aloof-kokiri, I thank you for the review, however there are some things I must clear up. **_

_**In your review, you stated that "unless both people give consent, it is considered rape". Please understand that I am in no way trying to insert any form of rape of any kind.**_

_**I understand that there is one part where Nayru (Elf) tries to seduce Link. I should have made this a bit more clear in the story that during the brief kissing, Link accepted it and let it continue. I will edit this and make sure that it is less offensive**__**.**_

**_I believed there were only two Heroes in the Zelda series: Time and Winds. However, now that you do mention it, each Hero is different. But, because I can't play the Song of Time and go back to when I started writing this, I will not change Link's title of "Hero of Time". Besides, that title has a very nice ring to it. :)_**

**_Yes, I know I should change everything you have stated, but once again, I can't control time (and that's a lot of chapters to edit in a short amount of time), so I will not be changing anything for a while. Well, except for that Link and Nayru kissing scene. That I'll do right now. :P_**

**_To answer your question, Zelda got angry at Link because he had sent his friend back to Kakariko, despite his promise to train her. Zelda is one for keeping promises, and seeing Link break his was just horrible in her eyes. Of course, she's a princess. She never had time for having friends of her own._**

**_Being the mature writer that I am, I will not think of your review as mean. If you were simply cussing me out and saying my story sucked, well, THAT I would consider downright hurtful. But you weren't doing anything like that, so thank you. _**

**_And yes, the drama may be a little out of whack, but this is my first story, so I don't expect you to think it's perfect. When I get a little more time, I'll take care of things._**

**_AHH this is so long! Sorry about that :P Thank you for your reviews, and keep reading!_**

* * *

When Link awoke, it was still rather dark outside. Slowly, he crawled out of bed and walked out of his room. The lanterns were out, so he had to rely on his acute sense of sight.

_Not quite as good as an Elf, _Link thought. _But pretty close to it._

He carefully made his way down the stairs, accidentally stepping on a stair that creaked rather loudly, echoing throughout the lobby and into the halls and library. He counted how many stairs were left, registering the number seven in his mind, then stepped down the rest of them with swift, Hylian grace, which he didn't have a lot of. Zelda, however, had more grace than... well, anybody else he knew. Ilia didn't seem to have very much at all. Less than him, to be honest.

_I'm glad she's out of the way. I wonder where she is now?_

He was about to step into the library when he heard a familiar voice.

"What rooms are they in?" The voice demanded. It was the government official he had met earlier.

"I-I don't know." A female voice replied. "I'm just a librarian here. I don't even know who they are."

"Then where is your manager?"

"He's upstairs, room 406."

"Thank you, ma'am." The guard walked out, not noticing Link hiding behind a pillar as he headed upstairs. He accidentally stepped on the creaky stair, making another echo through the inn.

"Damn stairs."

When sure the man was gone, Link snuck into the library, where the librarian was sitting at a table, crying. She was a young Rito girl, around 13 years old, and was holding a small, shiny harp with a face on it. She was also quite short, around half his size. He could hear some sort of muttering coming from her, and he could make out three shocking words:

"They're... in danger."

Link knew something was wrong, but he had to ignore his senses and get this little girl home. He thought of how he was going to catch her attention, and eventually gave up and tapped the table she was at. She started with a jolt, looking into Link's feral, wild eyes and shaking with fear.

"Who... who are you?"

"Relax." Link said softly. "My name is Link. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to get you home."

"I am home." The girl said. "I've lived here my whole life. My daddy is the manager of this place."

"Then what are you doing down here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Yes, but I really like books, so I came down here to read. But that other guy was already here, and he looked mean."

"What room did you say your father was in?"

"Room 406. It's a suite, though, so it's two rooms big." The girl's eyes widened. "That man is probably going to hurt my father! He said he wanted to know where some residents here were, and I didn't know, so I told him where my father was and now he and these residents are in danger!"

"Slow down. It's all right. I'll take care of this. You just find a place to hide until I come back. And I promise, I will."

The Rito girl nodded, and jumped with grace over the library counter to hide. Link turned and walked out of the library, closing the doors as he did so.

* * *

Link was in too much of a hurry to care about the creaky stair of the first flight. As he raced through the hallways, he was stopped by a whispered "Link!" behind him. He turned around to see Rusl and Auru standing outside their bedrooms.

"What are you doing?" Rusl demanded. "People are trying to sleep!"

"There's a man here who wants to know what rooms we're in. I believe he's trying to hurt us or something."

"Well, by the goddesses, kid!" Auru snapped as Rusl went to grab his sword. "Why didn't you come get us? We'd've stopped him right in his tracks!"

"He just passed through here. He's on his way up to 406, where the manager lives."

Auru acknowledged this, and went to grab his sword just as Rusl was coming out. When all three were ready, they began the short trip upstairs, hoping the manager was still alive.

They had reached the top floor when they heard a commotion coming from a nearby room. Swords poised to strike, they crept over to the somewhat open door and slowly opened it further. The place was a mess. There were pieces of broken furniture scattered throughout the room, ripped curtains, and bolts sticking out of the walls. Something horrible went on here, and only in a short matter of time, too.

They were about to give up when they picked up small gasps and wheezes coming from the suite's bedroom. The trio carefully glided across the floor, careful to not step on anything, and waited. When the next gasp was heard, they burst into the room ready to strike. Only the people in the room weren't who they expected. It was a young Rito couple, apparently doing some... personal business.

The trio instantly shielded their eyes from the couple, backing out of the room as orderly as possible.

"Sorry."

"Didn't mean it."

"Looking for someone else."

"Sorry."

Quickly the trio ran out of the suite and shut the door. Wide-eyed and red-faced, they stood there, trying to clear their minds. Link was the first to break the silence.

"My young eyes just saw... bird sex." Link looked pale and sickly. "I think I'm going to throw up."

"What room WAS that?" Auru asked. As Link vomited, Rusl squinted to get a better view of the number. 404.

"Wrong room. Come on, Link, let's go."

"Ugh, coming." Link straightened himself up and followed silently after them.

406 was locked, but it wasn't soundproof. They could hear a conversation going on inside, and Link knew for sure this was the correct room.

"For the last time, sir," The manager's voice spoke. "I cannot allow you to arrest these people! They have done nothing wrong!"

"I am not going to arrest them." The officer replied. "I have received orders from the chieftain himself that I am to bring them to the palace for questioning! To prove that these are the people who will save our world!"

"Does he not believe your word? Does he not trust you?"

"He trusts my word, yes. But he wishes to know for himself, and he wishes to know tonight! Now where are their rooms?!"

An audible gulp came from the manager's throat. He whispered something untranslatable, forcing the officer to ask him to repeat.

"Second floor." The manager said. "203 to 209. Each one has his or her own room."

"Thank you, sir." The officer walked back to the door and unlocked it, but did not open it. "By the way, your daughter, Medli, is downstairs in the library. Thought you should know."

The officer opened the door and walked out. Out of nowhere, a fist clashed with his face, knocking him backwards and unconscious.

The manager saw the officer's body being dragged out of sight, hearing small sentences coming from the hallway.

"Never should've trusted this twit."

"Should we tie him up?"

"Nah, the officers will think something's going on. Let's just leave him here. We'll find a different inn to stay at, just to be safe."

Link peeked around the corner, seeing a shocked manager standing in the middle of the living room.

"You alright, sir?"

"I'm fine. Just do your thing, Mister..."

"Link. Just call me Link."

"Right." The manager walked briskly over to where he was, and noticed he was with two others. "I'm, uh, going to go fetch my daughter." The manager walked around the fight scene and headed down the stairs, leaving Link and his friends to their work.

* * *

"So... what's this about again?" Shad asked. The group had already checked out of the inn, and were now traveling steadily through the city in search of another place to stay. The covers on their wagons were down, as it was a rather cool day, even in the city.

"We're apparently wanted." Rusl replied. Zelda looked at Link coldly, her suspicions confirmed. He had gone out after the explosion the previous evening, and apparently got himself in trouble.

"What did we DO, yeah?" Ashei wasn't as mad as Zelda, but she was one for questioning. A lot.

"We didn't do anything." Link replied. "The chieftain wants to meet us at his palace for some reason." Zelda suddenly relaxed, realizing that she was again wrong.

"Then why don't we pay him a visit, hmm?" Telma said sweetly.

"Actually," Link said. "That's what we should be doing right now. He should know where the next shard of the Triforce is."

"Well, considering our current predicament," Auru said. "I think we'd better wait a while until things with the officers die down. After last night, I don't want to have to mess with one of them again."

No one spoke at all after that. Link was reading the book from the Fire City Inn library, which the manager's daughter, Medli, had given him as a thank-you for helping her family. Zelda was asleep on Link's shoulder, her breathing soft.

After several hours of searching, the group finally found a much larger inn in the City, though it wasn't as full as the one in the village district. Unfortunately, this inn was extremely close to the palace of the Chieftain, which meant that it would be harder for them to avoid the officers until the time was right to go to the palace.

Once checked in, Link and Zelda decided to continue their walk from the previous evening. They had disguised their clothing, so that it would be more difficult for the officers to identify them. Link wore his green tunic, golden breastplate, gauntlets and boots. He left his sword in his room, bringing along his bow instead. Zelda was wearing simple black leggings, a blue girl's tunic, and her golden sword was strapped to her waist. Overall, the two looked very much like Hylian warriors. Hopefully, the officers wouldn't notice their faces.

The two had chosen a beautiful park outside the palace, where many noblemen and their wives/girlfriends walked every day. This, they thought, would be the perfect place to hide, as no officers would dare stir up trouble on palace grounds unless absolutely necessary.

As they walked, the air itself seemed to become sweeter between them, and it wasn't long before Zelda joined hands with Link.

"Link," Zelda said. "Did you hear what I said to you yesterday, before the explosion?"

"No." Link replied, turning his head to look at her eyes. "What was it?"

"I... I think I..." Zelda stuttered. She wanted him to know, but she was afraid of rejection.

_Let's just get it over with._

"Zelda?" Link asked. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"I..." Zelda paused. "I love you."

They stopped walking. Link turned to her and put his left hand on her shoulder, looking deep into the ocean of her kind blue eyes.

"Zelda," Link said. "You know that can't happen. You know the Royal Code."

"That no longer applies, Link." Zelda said. "Kyrus has taken over Hyrule, and in doing so has dethroned me. I'm no longer royalty."

"I understand. But once this quest is over, you will be back on the throne, and I will be back in Ordon, rebuilding my home."

"With Ilia?" Zelda's cheeks flustered.

"Of course not. Ilia isn't exactly my type."

"Then who is?" Zelda demanded. "Who else is there that you could love? Certainly not Ashei."

"Her, no." Link said. "Listen, Zelda, I know you love me, but I'm afraid we might go too far by the time we get you back on the throne, and then where will we be? You and I would never see each other, and our lives would be torn." He opened his arms for an embrace, and Zelda took it, allowing him to wrap her in his warmth.

"I'm just trying to do what I can to prevent our lives from becoming too messed up."

"I know. But I just wish there was another way."

The two stood there, holding each other, letting time walk right past them. Link was beginning to think that maybe their lives wouldn't be all that bad if they married. Sure, the people would be rather upset that their princess had married a peasant, but if they were told that Link was the Hero of Time, then perhaps the marriage would be accepted. It was a long shot, and Link was willing to take the risk. But first, they had to destroy the Black Mesa before love could be discussed.

Suddenly his thoughts returned to Nayru. How she had knocked him out and somehow brought him to her house, then seduced him as soon as he woke up. Link admitted to himself that he liked it, and he was grateful that she hadn't done anything worse than merely kissing. But neither of them had ever gotten the chance to fall in love, and he had to thank Donovan for that.

Then he turned to Ilia. He knew she loved him, but there was nothing romantic at all between them. He was a Hero, a warrior, and a dedicated protector of the peace. She was a villager, an immature, whiny girl who would never go anywhere without him. They were complete opposites. That's all they would ever be.

His thoughts returned to Zelda. Former princess, forced to leave her home and people to eliminate a dark force, having fallen in love with the Hero of Time. Link realized that they were both similar to each other. One ruled over her people, the other risked his life protecting them, both loved them. And he had to admit, he loved Zelda too. He just couldn't tell her yet.

_When this is over, I'll tell her._

* * *

Days passed by, and the group had finally decided to visit the Chieftain, upon Link's decision. They each wore something presentable, Link his golden armor, Zelda her royal blue tunic and gold pauldrons, and the rest with their own assortment of acceptable attire. Each wore a sword of their own, the specific craftsmanship defining that they were powerful, loyal warriors.

As they made their way up the steps to the palace, Link began to get a sense of danger from inside the building. He didn't reach for his sword, rather he simply kept his guard up and his eyes and ears alert for any sign of trouble. None came.

It was inside the throne room that Link realized something bad had just transpired here. At the other end, the Chieftain stood, facing away from them. Link became suspicious, and decided to speak out of turn, just to make sure the Chieftain knew they were there.

"Your Highness?" He said. Nothing happened.

Link noticed that the officials standing at each pillar were not trying to arrest them. Rather, they were simply standing there, watching.

"Your Highness, we've come to speak with you about the Shard."

Suddenly the Chieftain dropped to the ground in a pool of blood. Before the group now was a tall Rito man in dark red robes, a bloodstained cutlass at his side.

"I'm afraid you won't be getting the Shard, Hero." The Rito said evilly, then turned to a familiar official with a bruise on his left eye, his own eyes glowing. "Immobilize."

Before the group could draw their swords, a net dropped over them, bringing them down to the ground. As they struggled to escape, the Rito man chanted an incantation, and blue gas floated over them, making their bodies go limp. Their consciousness remained, but they were unable to move or speak. They could only watch in horror.

"Disarm." The Rito commanded. The net was lifted, and the officials went to work, taking their weapons and placing them on the ground next to them.

"Imprison." The officials picked up each member of the group and began carrying them towards a small, metal door. The Rito used a spell to open the door for them, and shut it once they were all inside. He took out a small sphere, the mists inside it swirling until they formed Kyrus' image.

"Kyrus, I have learned of the Shard's location. I have also imprisoned the Hero of Time and his friends, so that I can take the Shard they possess and return to Hyrule."

"Excellent." Kyrus said. "Well done, Zane. Your efforts will be rewarded."

"Thank you, Kyrus." Zane paused. "I have a question for you, now."

"What?" Kyrus growled. He did NOT like getting questions asked of him.

"How is your search for the Hylian Shard?"

"I have found it." Kyrus said. "But I'm afraid that I cannot access it, even with my own magic."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Deliver the Hero of Time and the former Princess to me at once. They both possess keys to the Ultimate Power."

"Of course, Kyrus. It will be done."

The sphere's mists swirled once more, allowing Zane to put it back into his robes. He turned and walked toward the prison door, opened it with a flick of his hand and shutting it behind him.

* * *

"This is a FINE rut you got us into, Link." Zelda snapped.

"Well, excuse ME, Princess." Link retorted. "It's not like I KNEW the Chieftain had been assassinated and replaced by one of the Mesa!"

"Will you two just calm down?" Telma shouted. "Honestly, it's like you two are a fighting couple. Loosen up."

"WHAT?!" Zelda shrieked.

"But we're-"

"I mean-"

"She's not my-"

"He's not my- oh, come on, now, Telma. You honestly think that we-"

"Yes, yes I do." She pointed a weak finger at the two of them. "Why else would you two be sneaking off into the city? I would understand Link for obvious reasons, but YOU, Zelda? I expected better from a princess."

"FORMER Princess, Telma." Zelda spat.

"Dethroned or not, you are still of royal blood, and it is your duty to look after your people, not go running off with Link!" Telma turned to the rest of the group. "Am I right?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Sure."

"Definitely."

"Not in the slightest."

Telma turned to face the man who had spoken last, and her jaw dropped when she recognized who it was. She tried to move, but her legs were still recovering from the spell that this man had place on her and her comrades. So there she sat, glaring.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your lovely chat," The man said, "But I'm afraid two of your friends are to come with me to Hyrule Castle. My leader has some business to deal with them."

"Kyrus will not get such "business" from us!" Link said defiantly. "We will not return to Hyrule until we have found the Triforce of Power!"

"Oh, is that how it is, then?" The man pulled out a small, misty sphere. The mists swirled, forming several landscapes and situations.

"Your people are enslaved," Gorons and humans alike were hauling huge bricks over to a build site, where a large fortress was being built over what used to be Ordon Ranch.

"Your country is in ruins," CastleTown was indeed falling apart, and even Malo Mart's sales weren't doing so well. Finally, the man put away the sphere.

"And yet you would rather sit here than help them?" The man laughed, astonished that this band of warriors would do such a thing. "You're more cruel than we are."

Suddenly, he reached out through the bars and grabbed Zelda, holding her against the cell wall, facing them. He drew a long knife and held it against her neck.

"Think about this." He said. "You could save your people and your Princess. All you have to do is come back to Hyrule and give us what we want. Or, you can sit here and rot, let your Princess and your people die, and the world will become a haunted wasteland. It's your choice."

Link thought hard. Go back to Hyrule and do what Kyrus wants, or let Zelda die? The decision was tough. But then something hit him.

"Zane." Link said, astounded that he knew the man's name. "You can't kill her. If you do, the Triforce of Wisdom will split, and then you'll have two pieces of the Triforce to go after. The same goes with me."

Zane looked at him furiously. Link had won out. For a Hylian, he was above average intelligence. But he would have his way.

"Fine, then." He said, and soon mist began to swirl about them. "I'll just take Zelda with me to Hyrule. If you care for her and her people, you'll follow."

Link and Zelda locked eyes, and Link could see the fear that covered her body. He nodded to her, reassuring her that everything would be alright. She nodded back, as if understanding what Link was cooking up in his mind. Then, in a flash, the two were gone.

* * *

Link sat alone in a corner, facing away from the rest of his friends. No one spoke.

In his mind, he could see his plan forming together. It was risky, but completely worth it.

_Continue the quest. Zelda will be fine. They can't kill her. Find the other Sages, find the Shards, get to Hyrule, kill the Black Mesa, restore peace. Just continue the objective. Zelda will be fine. She'll be alright. Oh, Nayru, please protect her!_

Link stood up, much to the surprise of his comrades, and began walking up to the gate. He didn't get very far when suddenly a human guard and a Rito guard came down with a small Rito girl. A very familiar Rito girl. He opened up a small cage on the ceiling and had the Rito place the girl inside it. The Rito guard slammed the door shut, locked it, and returned to the ground.

"That's where all the bad little birdies are s'posed to stay!" The human said. "Stupid kid."

"Hey!" Rusl said suddenly. "Leave her alone."

"Oooh," The human said. "Tellin' me how to do my job? That's mighty brave of ya', 'specially fer a Hylian."

"Being racist now, are we?" Telma snapped. "That's not very manly. If anything, it's pure cowardice."

"Listen lady, you just keep yer mouth shut, y'hear? You're nothing but a fat Hylian whore, by the way yer dressed."

"EXCUSE ME?" Telma stood up, walked over to the guard, grabbed him by the shirt collar and yanked him into the bars.

"I may run a bar, but I am CERTAINLY no whore, you perverted, racist prick!" She slammed him up against the bars again, this time accidentally breaking open the door. She threw the man into the Rito guard, knocking both of them unconscious.

When she had finally calmed down, she turned back to her friends. Each one of them had an astonished look on their face, even Ashei, who normally wasn't one for surprises.

Link walked past her, patting her shoulder as he did so, and used his regained strength to rip open the bars to the little Rito's cage. The Rito jumped out and landed with grace on the ground, then turned and gave Link a big hug. Not knowing what else to do, Link returned the embrace, then let go and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you Medli?"

"Yes. Do you remember me?"

"I do. How did you get here, anyway?"

"My father was killed yesterday, and an officer came and found me by his body. He thought I had killed him."

"Do you know who did?"

"No, but I know that several people have been getting killed lately. I even saw the Chieftain's body when the guards were leading me down here."

Link looked at his comrades, his face filled with worry. They returned the look, and he went back to asking questions.

"Do you know about a Shard of Power here?"

"You mean... the Golden Relic?"

"I guess."

Medli thought for a moment, trying to register everything she could about a Golden Relic.

"There's a large chamber underneath the Palace. How I know remains a mystery for some reason, but the Shard is most likely there. I can feel it."

"Do you know how to get down?"

"Yes," She said, a grin forming on her face. "But not the way you would expect."

* * *

"Hey!" A guard shouted as seven prisoners walked out of the prison hold, completely unfazed and unharmed. The guards rushed at them, swords at the ready. But what happened next told the prisoners they weren't.

Link parried the first guard's blow and punched him square in the face, disarming him in the process. Rusl and Auru repeated the move, keeping several guards distracted, while Ashei led the others away from the fight, only to get caught in the middle of it themselves.

Rusl now had two swords, and was cutting down guards like bamboo, slicing through their armor as if it was made of paper. To his left, Auru was using a combination of sword moves and graceful, yet deadly Elven martial arts. Link had grabbed his own sword from the pile of weapons in the center of the throne room, as well as his pouch. He pulled out his Hylian Shield and used it and his sword to fight against the few guards that were left.

As Ashei cut down the last of the remaining guards with a stolen sword, she and the others made their way over to the pile of weapons, where they re-armed themselves and transformed back into warriors. Link picked up Zelda's sword, his mind returning to the moment where she had told him she loved him. A tear fell from his eye, running down his face and onto the floor. He wished he hadn't somewhat rejected her, he wished she were still here at the moment. But she wasn't. She was in Hyrule, far away from them.

"Link?"

Link looked up, and his joy overcame him. There she was, somewhat battered and bruised, but nonetheless safe and sound.

"Zelda!" The two raced towards each other, arms opened wide, preparing for an embrace. They collided, arms wrapping around each other and tears of joy flowing down their cheeks. The rest of the crew watched their friends' reunion, faces beaming.

"You know," Rusl said. "I don't think that boy has ever been so happy in all his life."

The two broke the embrace, staring into each other's eyes.

"How did you get here?" Link asked. "I thought Zane warped you to Hyrule!"

"Luckily for me, his warping abilities collapsed on him. We only got so far as the City entrance before we fell out of the stream."

"Are you alright?"

"A bit scraped, but I'll be fine. I'm just glad you guys were able to get out by yourselves. I didn't want to go in there and fight all of those..." She looked at the dead bodies of the guards. "Umm... What exactly did you do here?"

"Oh, this?" Link looked around. "We unleashed Telma's wrath."

The group laughed, remembering the incident in the prison cell. Telma particularly remembered one point in the battle, where she took a sword from a guard and hacked away at the rest, screaming bloody murder as she did so. Ashei helped, of course, but around 60% of the guards fell to Telma's furious blade.

When the group had finished rejoicing, Medli showed Link, Rusl and Auru where to place a small amount of bombs.

"Trust me," She said. "I know what I'm doing."

When the explosives were set, Auru lit a fuse and ran to safety, Link and Rusl nearly climbing over each other to keep up. The bombs exploded shortly after, revealing a large chamber below. At one end, the Triforce Shard illuminated the area, bathing the palace in warm light. On the other end was a set of stairs, the top of which badly damaged from the blast.

The group made their way down the thin staircase, careful not to slip and fall. At one point, Zelda almost did, but Link reached out and grabbed her, pulling her up before she fell. When they reached the bottom, Link walked up to the small pedestal, careful not to look directly at the Shard itself. Not only was it a holy object, but it was also very, very bright up close. He picked it up off the pedestal and carefully placed it into his pouch, securing it's safety. But something wasn't right.

"Shouldn't there be a Sage?"

"Yes." A gravelly voice echoed from above. There stood Zane, bruised, scraped, and he appeared to have a broken wing. He jumped down, drawing his sword and preparing for battle.

"I should have known those cells weren't going to keep you contained for very long." He said. "But I'll do what I must in order to get what my leader wants!"

He lunged, his strength at it's peak, ready to kill Link and extract the Triforce of Courage from him if necessary. Link barely parried out of the way, drawing his weapons as he did so. Zane lunged again, same battle form, and once again Link parried.

Realizing that Zane was draining Link's power, Zelda called upon her own magic and used it to stun Zane long enough for Link to end the battle before it got too bloody. Zane cowered at the beam of light, which froze his body and blocked his magic.

Seeing his chance, Link used whatever power he had and sent out a Triforce Cage, locking Zane inside. He lunged, landing a series of blows on the Mage, then knocked him down with a final blow and broke the Cage.

Zane stood slowly, his power drained, and faced his foe.

"Y-you..." He said, pointing to Link. "You think you're so powerful? M-my leader will see to it that you suffer for eternity for this! You will not succeed!"

With that, Zane disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Link and the others in the chamber alone. Suddenly, a light shone in the room, and Link turned to see Medli, who was just as surprised as he was, glowing. Her eyes suddenly lit up, and soon her voice echoed throughout the palace halls, echoing out towards the city.

"Hero of Time," Medli said. "I thank you for awakening me. As the Sage of Corea, I will see to it that my country returns to normalcy."

"Medli," Zelda said. "Do you know where the Ancient Sages are?"

As if on cue, five white beings appeared before them, enveloping them in their light.

"We are sorry." The Sage of Light said. "We were forced to flee from the Desert."

"You have done well in your quest so far, Hero." The Sage of Shadow stated. "As have the rest of you. You are the key to saving this world from the Black Mesa."

"Take a rest, heroes." The Sage of Fire said. "Zane's loss will hurt the other's chances of success. As of now, the other members of the Black Mesa are regrouping, trying to find faster ways to find the Shards. This will no doubt take a long time."

"Thank you, Light Ones." Link said. "We will take to your word and rest."

The Ancient Sages disappeared, leaving the group with Medli.

"Link," Medli said. "I will wait with the Sage Nayru at the Shrine until you have found the rest of the Shards and Sages. May the Triforce guide your way."

"Thank you, Medli." Link replied. "And say hello to her for me, please?"

Medli smiled and agreed, then, in a flash of light, she disappeared.

* * *

"WHAT?!"

Kyrus was fuming. Zane had just returned after a series of failed warps and a long flight to report that he had failed his task. Now he was sitting before Kyrus, his leader, and the black-robed man was nowhere NEAR happy.

"How is it that even YOU have failed?" Kyrus drew a small cutlass sword and pointed it at Zane. "You had cunning. You had willpower. You had everything I had taught you, and yet you failed?"

"He is too powerful, Kyrus." Zane said. "It would take more of us to bring him down."

"No. That will not happen." Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "You said you knew the location of the Shard. Why did you not get it?"

"I only knew it was inside the Palace! I didn't know exactly WHERE in the Palace it was!"

"I see." Kyrus sheathed his sword. "We will have to be quicker." He turned to Lorielle, a human girl in blue robes. "The next place they'll search is in the Kingdom of Narine. Lorielle, go there, and make sure you locate the Shard quickly. The rest of you, back to your searches. Donovan and Zane, however, will remain here until you have returned.

"Yes, Kyrus." Lorielle said. "I will not fail you."

"Be careful, Lorielle." Kyrus said darkly. "I know your history in this group. It's a wonder I still trust you."

Lorielle shuddered, then surrounded herself in blue light and disappeared. Kyrus turned to the others, who nodded and did the same, except for Donovan and Zane.

"Now," Kyrus said. "I think it's time for more training. School is back in for you two idiots."

* * *

_Dear_ _Diary,_

_I just got back from my so-called quest. Who knew that Link was such a lying jerk?_

_He promised me he would train me. He said I would learn how to use a sword. But did he keep it? No, apparently he'd rather spend time running off with Elven girls and fighting robed people. Does he not care about ME anymore?_

_I've been his best friend for 13 years now. We did everything together as kids. And now, ever since his "Hero Quest" two years ago, he's been more concerned with the PRINCESS. _

_Now he's out in Corea, probably kicking some robed guy's butt for another Shard. I wonder who the new Sage is? Probably another girl who's fascinated by him. Ugh, sometimes I wish he would just lighten up!_

_OK, I've got to go, my father's calling. Bye._

_-Ilia_

Ilia set down her diary and opened the door to answer her father.

"Hon, there's a boy that just moved into the village. He looks 'bout your age, why don't you go say hi?"

"Because maybe I don't want to."

Bo knew better than to argue with his daughter, so he simply disregarded it and let her go back to her misery, while he went out to help the new family move into the house next to Malo Mart.

Ilia looked out the window, watching the people below unload a wagon that was not there this morning. She hadn't looked very long when suddenly, a young man wearing a brown leather tunic came out of the house. She watched as he picked up a large box and carried it back inside the house, barely flinching by the size or perhaps heavy weight.

Outside, the young man had just returned from putting away another box when two kids came crashing through his path, one of them being his little brother. The other was Talo, whom he had met only moments earlier.

"Ken?"

The young man looked around, trying to find where his name was being called from. He saw his father and a large, bald man carrying a large box inside. His father continued.

"Can you get that last box? You can go check out the place afterwards."

"Yeah, sure." Ken walked up behind the wagon and picked up a small box, as well as a leather bag. Inside the bag was an assortment of weapons: A sword, a bow and arrows, a Bo staff, and a boomerang. He also had a set of chainmail in the bag, which was clinking against his weapons.

After he dropped off the stuff inside his house, he walked over to the shop next door, just to see if it was open. Surprisingly, it was, but there was no one behind the counter.

"Hello?"

"Who's here?" An extremely young voice said, coming from behind the counter. Ken looked over it to see a small baby looking back up at him.

"Umm," Ken said. "Did you speak?"

"Yes. Any other stupid questions you want to ask? Or are you going to stop wasting time in here?"

"Excuse me?"

"Listen," Malo said. "I don't care if you're the new kid. I run a very tight business right now, and I can't have any time-wasting in my shop. So if you're going to be in here, you're either working or buying."

Ken was amazed at the level of maturity that this toddler possessed. Never before had he seen such a young child like this possess the qualities of a full-grown man, and now he stood before one. He almost had the urge to bow.

"I guess I could use a job." He said.

"Excellent." Malo said. "I'll give you some time to settle in. You can start working in exactly one week. You do know the basics of construction, right?"

"I thought this was a sundries shop."

"It is, but we are temporarily sponsoring a project to build two fortresses: One here, and one in my hometown, Ordon Village. We need more able-bodied workers to carry out instructions on the construction of such buildings."

"Perhaps I could work as a guard of this "fortress"?

Malo sighed. "Alright, fine. You'll have to talk to my brother, Talo. He'll tell you all that you need to know. Anything else?"

"How much pay do I receive?"

"Depends on how well you work."

"Right." Ken couldn't believe that he was going to work for a BABY.

_If only those idiots from the Hidden Village could see me now. Man, they'd be laughing like hyenas._

Ken thanked Malo for the job and left the building, muttering something about idiots and hyenas. As he walked down the street, he noticed it had suddenly gotten dark. He looked up at the sky, only to see a massive bridge crossing the gap between the two sides of the village.

_Impressive._ He watched as several Gorons and humans alike were moving planks of wood or huge stone bricks over to the east side, where a well-made watch tower was being built onto.

"Umm..." A voice said behind him. He turned around to see a girl about his age standing before him.

"Hello." He said, holding out his hand. "Name's Ken. What's yours?"

"Ilia." She said shyly, shaking his hand. "I heard you just moved in."

"Yeah. Moving's a lot of work, though, going from one place to another."

"I know how you feel." She looked down at the ground. "My village was burned down a while ago, so we had to leave."

"I'm so sorry. Are you feeling any better? I mean, did you get over it?"

"Yeah. I've been here before. Quite a lot actually. But I never considered living here until we were forced to leave. That was during the Celebration."

"Oh, I heard about that. My former village couldn't afford to go, considering the monsters that kept roaming the place. We could barely go anywhere without seeing one. I think we met their "King" one day. I'm glad I moved here, there's more protection."

Ilia simply laughed, but didn't continue the conversation. She was too afraid to.

"I'm going to check this place out." Ken said. "You wanna come with me?"

"Umm, no thanks." She responded nervously. "I don't like heights."

"OK then. Suit yourself. It was nice to meet you, Ilia."

"Yeah, you too."

Ken gave her a funny look, but quickly turned and began his ascent to the fortress.

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_Just met the new boy across the street, and goddesses is he amazing. Funny, too. I really hope we can be friends. Maybe this is what I need to get over Link's betrayal. Yeah, that's right. Just forget about Link and move on. That's the mature thing to do._

_Well, that's about all I have to say. See ya!_

_-Ilia._

She shut the diary once more, her thoughts now embedded into the paper. She thought back to when she first saw him: He was carrying in a heavy box and a bag of weapons into his house, and he made it look like they didn't weigh a pound.

_Maybe HE can teach me how to fight._

Ilia knew her life was going to change dramatically. But what she didn't know was: For better? Or worse?


	14. Chapter 13: The Twilight Returns

_**OK, school has started, so chapters will not be uploaded as quickly. Sorry :(**_

* * *

The Black Mesa (all except Lorielle, who was in Narine) stood before their leader, holding out the small black objects that held their magic. Kyrus, too, had his own, and black mist was pouring out of it; he had cracked the sphere.

The mist swirled around the Mesa, surrounding them in darkness and corruption. Kyrus stepped into the blackness, strengthening the power of the mist. The Mesa could barely keep themselves up, for the power of the darkness was so great, it made them weaker and weaker until suddenly, there was a shattering of glass. The mist disappeared, and there they stood, unfazed, as if nothing had even happened.

Kyrus smiled evilly, chuckling as he did so.

"Excellent." He said. "It appears you have managed to break the barriers of the mist. I was afraid that your weak forms wouldn't be able to take it."

"Kyrus," A yellow-robed woman said. "I don't feel any different."

"Neither do I." Donovan said. The rest agreed.

"I don't expect you to." Kyrus began forming a long, spiked shape from the air. "Your new power is only strong in darkness." The black sword appeared, and instantly sent out it's own mists, once again surrounding the Mesa. At that moment, they began to form a circle, the sword slowly floating down to the center. Soon, all six of them stood around the black sword, their robes gone. Instead, they were marked by the colors of their eyes.

"Donovan," Kyrus said. "Master of the Forest." Donovan's eyes changed to a cruel green.

"Zane, Chieftain of Fire." Zane's eyes turned a fire red.

"Lorielle, Queen of the Sea." Somewhere in a dark chamber in Narine, Lorielle watched in shock as her power increased dramatically, changing her eyes to a navy blue.

"Sarai, Mistress of the Sand." The woman whose robes had been yellow felt her power surge through her body, her eyes becoming a sunset yellow.

"Bruin, Lord of the Sky." A young man to his left watched in the reflection of the sword's blade as his eyes turned a pale white.

"Toren, King of the Earth. " A middle-aged man on his right let the power flow into him, turning his eyes an earthly brown.

"Kyrus, Emperor of Shadows, and of the world." His eyes went pitch black, his pupils a ghostly white.

As soon as the last of the shadowy mists from the black sword disappeared, the sword itself plunged blade down into the ground, turning the sky an orange color, with black clouds covering parts of the sky, and small black squares floating up to the sky from nowhere. Once again, the world was covered in Twilight.

"With your new power," Kyrus said. "Link and his friends will be no match for you. Find the Shards before he does, and then capture him and Zelda and bring them here. Your new power shall help with that."

The Mesa, understanding their tasks at hand, obeyed their leader and used a small portion of their newfound magic, disappearing in a flash of mist, heading towards their previous destinations. Donovan and Zane, however, were sent to the land of Alkor, where they would find the Shard there and return to Hyrule.

* * *

A shrill scream echoed throughout the hallways of the inn and out into the entire city.

Link was at Zelda's door before he even realized he was actually awake, pounding his fist on the door and begging for entry. Zelda quickly opened the door and wrapped her arms around Link's waist, burying her tears in his green tunic. It was then that Link realized why she had screamed.

The Twilight had returned.

How, he didn't know, nor did he know why. But he was going to find out.

Rusl, Ashei and Auru were the only others that heard the scream. In a flash, they were out of their rooms, swords drawn, waiting for an ambush. But nothing came.

Rusl looked at his surroundings, taking in the black squares popping up from the ground, the ghostly orange glow of supposed daylight, the haunting fact that they were all solid when they should be spirits. Except for Link and Zelda, of course. Yes, he and the others knew well of how Twilight worked. They had witnessed it themselves. But this was a most unnatural Twilight.

"Something is wrong with the Twilight." He said. "It does not feel like the Twilight we once knew. This comes from a different source."

"But it doesn't make any sense." Ashei said. "The only source was from the Mirror of Twilight, yeah? So how can there be another source?"

"It's not like it's witchcraft or anything." Link replied, but suddenly stopped his words before they came out again. Witchcraft?

_The Black Mesa._

It was the only logical explanation for it. But how could the Black Mesa control the Twilight? Only Midna, Princess of the Twilight Realm, could do such a thing. But Link knew Midna, and she would never unleash the Twilight on the Light World. It had to be a different source. It had to be the Black Mesa. But how?

Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out the _Guardian Sword_ book and flipped through it, all the while holding Zelda in his arms. He flipped to the first section, skipping past several bits of content that he had already read, until finally he stopped at a page that had a large, black broadsword with an upside-down Triforce symbol on it.

_The sword shown is that of the great demon king, Demise, though today he is known better as Ganon or Ganondorf._

_This sword was the embodiment of a demon lord named Ghirahim, but now neither demon exists. The sword, however, was simply sent to a dark realm on the surface world called the Twilight Realm._

_Originally, there were two portals to this realm. One in the land of Hyrule, one in the wastes of Alkor. The portal in Hyrule was lost, though, and no one has seen it since. The other portal, however, remains intact, though its existence is not known to the common man. Not even the ruler of the Twilight knows of its existence._

_In the early days of the Black Mesa's existence, their leader, who was Alkorian, used the portal to gain access to the Twilight Realm. There, he infused his magic and the Twilit Magic inside the blade, and it became his and that of his descendants. The one flaw in this is: the Twilight in the sword cannot turn humans into spirits. Rather, it decreases their power significantly, and feeds into the Mesa, who become stronger over time._

Link nearly fainted. The Twilight had returned, and now it had the power to drain one's power and energy. He looked over at Rusl, Ashei, and Auru, gaping in horror as he saw them fall to the ground, completely out of strength.

"It's too much." Rusl said. "This Twilight is too much."

Both Link and Zelda watched as the three of their friends sat or lay on the ground, their eyes drooping and limbs failing to respond. The Twilight wasn't draining their power. It was killing them. That, or it was transforming them into hideous beasts that would ultimately try to kill them. Suddenly, Zelda brought a hand to her forehead, clutching it as though she were in pain.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"I've just seen a vision." She said. "The Twilight only affects Hylians who are not in Hyrule. There is a certain shield around the kingdom that protects the Hylians who are in Hyrule from this power."

"The Sages of Hyrule?"

"So it seems." She shuddered. She didn't want to know what would happen to her, Link, and their friends while they were out here. And then something clicked.

She didn't feel weak. Neither did Link, and both knew why. They were blessed with the Triforce.

"Zelda..." Auru said. "Get out of here. Finish the quest. We don't want to endanger you."

"Auru," Zelda said. "You have to come with us."

"No." Ashei said weakly. "We... we have to stay here. You guys can handle this. You... You have the Triforce with you."

"Zelda," Link said. "Let's go. They won't help us anymore. This is now our quest."

Zelda nodded, then turned to the trio that lay before them.

"Tell the others what happened."

Rusl barely nodded, and Zelda and Link returned to their rooms to get packed. They were to leave as soon as they could.

* * *

Link drove through the city towards the exit, his mind pondering over the events of that morning. What had happened to them? What was going on? How would the group be able to continue if half of them were practically powerless? These questions and more were haunting Link's mind as he drove the double wagon past the gates of the city and out towards the Kingdom of Narine.

The two wagons were now hooked together, and Telma's horse was now side by side with Epona. Zelda was in the back wagon, using all of her power to try and keep their friends alive. Neither of the two Hylians were about to leave their friends in a foreign area, not while the Twilight was around again.

_Where the hell is it coming from?_

Link began tracing his thoughts back to his previous adventure. When Zant had cursed his friend Midna in Lanayru's chamber, Zelda restored it by giving her the power of the Triforce of Wisdom. It brought Midna back, but it sent Zelda into a spiritual coma. Link wondered if maybe it would be best to repeat the event.

_No, that's selfish._

_Not really._

_How? You love Zelda, don't you? Why are you planning on sending her into a spiritual coma again just to save your friends? That is absolutely selfish._

_Zelda would approve._

_Is that so? Do explain._

_She believes it is better for one man to suffer than for a whole nation to perish._

_We're not carrying an entire NATION in these wagons, you idiot. Just some really weak people._

_EXACTLY. She would sacrifice her power to revive the others, so that we can continue the adventure with more fighters. _

_I still say it's selfish._

_Fine, I'll ask her._

Link couldn't believe his own thoughts were now arguing. But his good side was right. It WAS better for one man to suffer than for a whole nation to perish. Without holding back, he asked Zelda his question. Her reaction was not exactly what he expected. She was calm, not angry.

"I think it's a great idea, Link." She said. "But considering the fact that I can't split my Triforce unless I die before I have a child, it just wouldn't work."

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

Zelda thought for a moment, then responded. "We split up." Link nearly choked on the idea.

"You're serious?" He gasped. "No. I'm not going to let you return to Hyrule. Not until we've collected the rest of the Triforce."

"Link, listen!" Link stopped the horses and turned around, waiting for Zelda to continue. "Look, Link. I know this sounds bad, but let me explain this. We split up, I'll go to Hyrule and you head to Narine. When I reach Kakariko Village, I will send you the Triforce of Wisdom telepathically. You should be in Narine by then."

"Where are you going with this?" Link was curious with her plan.

"When I get to Hyrule, the others will be able to regain their strength. They will protect me while we ride to Kakariko. I can then send the Triforce of Wisdom to you, and we can keep the Triforce itself out of the reaches of Kyrus."

Link thought about this. The plan certainly was a lot better than his own, and certainly less selfish. Perhaps, he might even be able to fight the other Mesa members by himself. They certainly weren't that difficult to beat, anyway. He nodded his agreement to Zelda, and together they rearranged the wagons so that Zelda had Telma's horse and wagon, as well as their five companions. Link had Epona and his own wagon, with much of their provisions as well.

Link watched as Zelda disappeared over the hills as she made her way to Hyrule. He silently whispered a prayer to the goddesses to keep her safe, then cracked the reins on his own horse and began the majority of his quest alone.

Little did he realize that he had just made a huge mistake.

* * *

_**Goodness, I am so sorry about the huge wait. I've been busy with school and my other FF: The Legends. Check it out, by the way. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story. **_**_  
_**

_**I recently hit 10 reviews for RotBM today, and I went through the story so far. I really need to continue this! The chapters, I've decided, will not be too long, as the length has also contributed to my lack of updates. So they'll just be as long as they need to be :)**_

_**Keep reading and reviewing!**_

_**-Legends**_


	15. Chapter 14: Young Love in Kakariko

Ilia and Ken were sitting on the bridge that overlooked the village. The fortress was still a long ways away from total completion, due to certain construction policies. The bridge was the first thing finished, with Barnes' bomb storage being second, and larger than the last one after its accidental destruction by Link two years ago (Which Barnes still has yet to forgive him for).

Both teens had been friends for just over a week, and they did everything together. Swimming in the deep pool behind the graveyard, exploring the fortress, or practicing with weapons. It took Ken a while to convince Bo to let Ilia train, but eventually the former mayor gave in and let it happen.

The sun was just beginning to set, the sky turning orange and purple, giving the land a soft, sleepy glow. Ilia began to get nervous, considering she was up here on the bridge, with a boy she liked, watching the sunset.

_What is he going to do? Will he do anything? Is he nervous? Oh, goodness, this is too much._

She shifted just a little bit, edging her hand over to Ken's and just barely touching it. He didn't seem to notice, but she didn't want to push it. She would have to go slowly. Little by little, she pushed her hand closer to Ken's, hoping he'd notice. She looked up at his face.

_Easy, Ilia, easy. Not too fast, now. Slow down, girl._

Ken looked over at her, catching her gaze just before she jerked her head back over to the sunset. He smiled, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. He took her hand in his, and she brought her gaze back to him. Their eyes met, and Ilia instantly thought he was going to kiss her. Her heart began pounding in her head, waiting for him to make the move. They moved closer and closer together until finally, their lips locked.

* * *

Unbeknownst to either of the teens, Talo, Malo, Colin and Beth stood at the left side of the bridge, watching them kiss. All but Talo stayed behind to watch. He hated seeing this guy kissing Ilia. He had wanted it to be Link and Ilia together, ever since before he even knew what love meant. He wanted Link to be the next mayor of Ordon, to lead the village when Bo retired. But that day, it seemed, would never come. And Talo hated the idea. But what could he do about it? This wasn't his life he wanted to turn out perfectly, it was Link's and Ilia's lives. They used to be so happy as friends.

_At least Ilia's still happy. I wonder how Link is doing?_

* * *

When the two teens finally broke their kiss, Ilia felt like she could fly. Link had never, ever kissed her like that. It was always a friendly peck on the cheek. But this kiss, the one she had just shared with Ken, this was different. It felt so perfect, so real, that she had no idea anyone else was watching. She still didn't. She was lost in her world of hopes and dreams that were finally becoming reality. No one could take this life away from her.

She was lost in Ken's eyes, hoping for another kiss, when he finally spoke to her for the first time since they arrived on the bridge.

"I love you, Ilia." He said. Ilia's heart fluttered. She had no idea what to say! What could she say?

_Oh, right. What else CAN I say?_

"I love you, too, Ken." The words came out before she could stop them. It felt too soon. They had barely known each other for a week, and already they were in love. It was all happening too fast. But she wanted it that way, didn't she? She was desperate for love. Link never gave it to her, and Ken seemed to have the same potential, and she was just too arrogant to care about all this recklessness to realize that they were going too fast. She was in love.

* * *

"They did WHAT?" Bo didn't know what to feel. Anger? Or happiness? Both, perhaps. He was angry that Ilia and Ken were going way too fast in their friendship, and yet, at the same time, he was happy for them. His daughter had finally found love, and Ken was certainly a man he could trust. He was so caught up in a flurry of excitement that he had forgotten Talo was still there.

"Yeah, they kissed." Talo repeated himself. "Quite gross, in my opinion. But that's just how people do it, I guess. Can they get married?"

Bo jumped at the statement, only to relax and burst out laughing.

"Talo," He gasped. "Truly your mind works faster than my daughter's."

"But they seem so happy together. I think they should."

"Talo, I want my daughter to marry. But it's just way too soon. Give it a couple of months or so. Let this whole thing slow down. Then I'll see how Ilia feels about it."

"OK." Talo ran back to his guard post, leaving Bo down in the village on the Elde Inn porch. He leaned against the railing, watching as Ken showed Ilia the basics of archery. Ilia was a fast girl, alright. Fast learner, fast mover in relationships, just... fast. Too fast for him. He was getting old, and the speed that his young daughter was going at was beginning to weigh him down. Not to mention the chaos with the Black Mesa.

Suddenly, his thoughts turned to Link. What would he make of all this? Link cared so much about Ilia, loved her, even. Perhaps as a sister, but still. He had never known Ken, never met him. Surely, he would think the young warrior an enemy or something. But Link had a gift. An instinct, perhaps. He could sense danger from anywhere. Bo had contributed to Link's development of the instinct, but it was the boy's wolf-like senses that really made it come out. Bo himself had a smaller, less keen instinct. His old age was the reason he had lost most of that instinct. He was old enough that he could only sense danger from a close distance, even before it happened. Ken was no danger, so neither he, Link, Ilia, or anyone should have to worry.

As he watched the young pair train, Renado came outside and stood by him. His expression was relaxed, and it appeared to be that he had gotten word of the couple's sudden love for each other.

"You must be very proud, Bo." He said.

"So proud," Bo replied. "And sad."

"What reason have you to be sad? Is your daughter's love not enough to make you happy?"

"I'll admit, I am happy for her. But to think of everything that Link had put her through, even if it was by accident, it breaks my heart to think that he no longer cares for her."

"He does, just not in the same way. I have observed Link and Ilia when they were together, and I got the sense that Link had placed a wall between them. A wall that prevents them from loving in a way that is not between siblings."

"But he is in love, I'll give you that."

"True, but with another girl. The Princess, perhaps?"

"_Former_ Princess, you mean. You forget that while Kyrus is in power, she has none."

"And you take advantage of this?"

"No. Zelda has every right to be on the throne, but while that damned wizard is in power, she really can't do much about it. I just wish there was some way we could help."

"We must lay low. None of the Mesa know we are allies with Link and Zelda. If any of them find out, we are all dead. We cannot allow them that luxury. So let us help them by living normally. This quest is in their hands, not ours."

"And so it is, then."

At that moment, Ken's mother called for him, saying it was late and he should be in bed. Bo called to Ilia for the same reason. The two teens packed up the weapons, kissed each other good night, and separated to their own houses. As Ilia passed her father, she sighed a girly sigh of happiness, a sigh Bo couldn't help but be proud of as he shut the Inn door behind him.

* * *

_Dear diary,_

_Goddesses, this was the BEST DAY EVER. Ken and I are in love. We kissed earlier this evening on the bridge. It was so wonderful. I really want to marry him, but I don't want to go too fast. My father would definitely ask me to slow down. Ah, life couldn't get any better. _

_I can't stop forgetting about Link, though. It's almost as if Ken is the exact same as Link, with his own personality attached. He teaches me how to fight, he helped me overcome my fear of heights, and now he's teaching me how to climb stuff. Buildings, trees, mountains. It doesn't sound all that fun to a girl like me, but it's way better than sitting around and watching people fight. I'm glad I came back. Link has done me a great favor. I'll just have to thank him when he returns._

_Anyways, I have to go now. Bedtime. I know, I'm 18, I should be allowed to do what I want. But 19 is my "coming-of-age" or whatever, so I just have to wait a while. I wish my birthday would come soon, so I can marry Ken. Our lives are already so happy. OK, I'm stalling. Good night._

_-Ilia_


	16. Chapter 15: The Revolution Starts

Talo awoke to the sound of voices coming from downstairs. It was still dark outside. Who could be up at this hour? Carefully, he tiptoed out of his room and down the stairs into the Inn lobby. No one was there, so they were probably outside. He didn't dare open the door, for fear he might be caught. The voices sounded farther than before, though. He slowly opened the front door and stepped outside. It was warm tonight. Of course, that's the benefit of living below Death Mountain. It was always warm.

He looked around, searching for any sign of the voices he had heard. No one was there.

_Must be my imagination or something._

At that precise moment, the door to Malo Mart opened up, and Malo stepped out, along with the black-cloaked man from a week or so ago. Talo hid behind a post, hoping neither of them would spot him.

"I will not be rushed, Kyrus." Malo said sternly. "Fortresses, as you know, take time to build. My workers in Ordon are doing their best, but construction must be taken seriously. If anything goes wrong, the whole thing could come down on top of you. It will be done when it's done, and not a moment sooner."

"You will meet this deadline, Malo." Kyrus scowled.

"If you want this fortress done on your time, you'll have to find yourself another business manager. I highly doubt anyone else in this country has enough money to supply your needs." Malo was not about to be taken lightly.

"I'm not going to hire anyone else. You want this money, get it done."

"What on earth do you even need this fortress for, anyway?"

"My men from Alkor will need a place to stay. They will be here in two weeks. If you do not have this fortress done by then, Kakariko Village will be wiped off the map, just like Ordon was."

This silenced Malo. An army, here? The fortress was no where NEAR completion. Neither were. But there was little else he could do.

He would have to shut down the Kakariko Fortress construction.

* * *

The crowds of the village screamed in protest, their cries echoing all the way up Death Mountain. Renado tried calming them down, but to no avail. The village was angry, and they had every right to be. But they needed to calm themselves long enough for him to speak. Thanks to Darbus suddenly bellowing out a loud "QUIET!", he was able to begin.

"I understand your want for the fortress here to be completed," He said. "But I am afraid we must shut down the construction until this fortress in Ordon has been built for the army of Alkor. All workers currently working on the fortress here will need to depart for Ordon and report to Gor Coron, who is now overseeing this construction. I am sorry for this inconvenience."

"This is madness!" A young voice spoke. Ken. "We shouldn't have to follow this Alkorian! He isn't our leader, Zelda is!"

"Zelda is on a mission to recover the Triforce of Power." Renado replied. "She cannot help us at the moment."

"Then let's fight!" People stared at Ken bewildered. "Let's show Kyrus he has no power over us! Let's tell him who the real leaders are!" Shouts of praise echo through the crowd. Ken raised a triumphant fist in the air, letting the people scream for revenge. These screams were instantly hushed by the sound of a feminine voice opposing their riot.

"Do not risk your lives!" A woman jumped off of the wagon she was driving and lowered her hood. "Kyrus is not a man to underestimate. Only the Hero of Time can defeat him."

The people suddenly recognized the woman as Princess Zelda. She walked into the now-kneeling crowd, continuing her speech. "We must do what Kyrus says. At least, for now. Only then can we be safe."

"Princess," Renado said. "What are you doing here? Why have you come back?"

"Link has chosen to continue on his own. I had to return with the rest of our group after the Twilight threatened their lives."

Hushed whispers of the Twilight returning slithered through the crowd, and people began to fear the return of the dreaded beasts of the hellish realm. Zelda raised her hands, causing the murmurs to die down completely.

"The Twilight cannot hurt us." She said. "It covers the rest of the world in its cloud of shadow, though it is not the same Twilight we used to know. This is a more powerful blanket, which transforms any Hylians specifically into those dark monsters. My guess is that it was somehow brought upon by Kyrus himself to wipe Link and myself out, but I cannot be sure. No such power can exist in our world, not after the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed."

"What are we going to do, Princess?" Renado asked. "With you here, how will we protect the Triforce of Wisdom from Kyrus' grasp?"

"Link and I have made an agreement: Once I have used my powers to heal Telma and the others, I will sacrifice myself to the spirit world and send the Triforce of Wisdom to Link. No one must interfere, understood?"

Sighs of understanding came from the crowd, which dispersed quickly. The workers returned to the fortress to gather everything they would need for Ordon, while their families went home to prepare a final meal for them. Ken, however, disappeared into the fortress with a few other villagers to hold a secret meeting, so he called it.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ken?" A villager asked. "We're practically betraying the Princess' words. We should stay here."

"That's not what you said twenty minutes ago." Ken snapped. "Look, I'm sick of being bossed around by this Kyrus guy. We may not be able to beat him personally, but we should at least form some sort of revolution and fight all those who support him. We should create our own army to fight the Alkorians. What do you say?"

"You're crazy, boy." An older man said. "But I'll follow you through to the end. Agreed?" He looked around at the other villagers, all men, in the room. Everyone nodded.

"It's settled, then." Ken said. He pulled out a bundle of weapons and laid them out on the table. Swords, bows, maces, everything was there. And it was all going to be used against Kyrus. The older man looked at Ken in disbelief.

"This is it?" He said disapprovingly. "This is your revolution?"

"Not all of it." Ken replied, smiling. He pulled out a long, metal object with a barrel and the body of a crossbow. He laid a rolled-up piece of parchment next to the object, and the villagers looked at it with awe.

"Gentlemen," Ken said. "This is a weapon I invented before I moved here. It looks like a crossbow, but it uses gunpowder and lead balls instead of bolts. I call it a rifle."

"And what does kind of power does this rifle have?" Another villager said.

"Just think: Shooting small lead balls at a speed faster than a bolt or arrow, and yet still retains it's power to kill. My friends, this is the birth of a new era of war."

"Then let us begin this era." The older man said. "For Hyrule!"

"For Hyrule!" The others shouted continually.

The Hylians Revolution had begun.

* * *

_**Don't hate me for bringing in guns to a Legend of Zelda story. It seemed rather appropriate. :)**_


	17. Chapter 16: Ilia Learns the Truth

Ilia entered the healing room with a worried look on her face. It had been two days since she had last been with Ken. Ever since the riot, she barely even saw him. She didn't know where he was, and she wasn't about to check without some clarification from others.

She had come to the healing room specifically, because Renado was the only one who knew the whereabouts of anyone living in Kakariko. He was helping Princess Zelda heal their friends after they had their energy drained from the mysteriously returned Twilight. He knew not only who Ken was, but where he might have gone off to for the sixth time in two days.

She was about to ask when Renado answered her question, saying he had gone up into the fortress again. There had been some sort of banging sound going on up there, but that it was nothing to be afraid of. "Check the fortress." He said. "Ken should be there, though I doubt he is alone."

Ilia thanked him and left the room, her face even more worried than when she entered. Ken wasn't alone? Who was with him? Another girl? No, that couldn't be true. She was the oldest girl in the village. Neither Ashei nor Zelda were considered girls anymore. They were women, and powerful women at that. So it had to be one of Ken's friends that he was with.

She heard a familiar, yet unfamiliar banging sound coming from above. She had no clue what the things that made those sounds were, but they were coming from the fortress. What was Ken doing that involved such an annoying noise?

She entered the building, listening for the noise. It seemed to be coming from above her, somewhere on the second or third floor. It really was a big fortress, but to her it was a giant maze of hallways. It would take a long time to find Ken and figure out what he was doing and why he wasn't spending time with her.

After about 20 minutes of searching the hallways on the first floor, she finally found the spiral staircase that led up to the other floors. She climbed up to the second floor, listened for the bang, and moved up another floor. Another bang, another floor. She was really high up now. More bangs, another floor up she went. She was now on the top floor, and now the banging was coming from outside. She walked through a small door that led outside. She hadn't seen this door before, so it must have just been put in.

Ilia's eyes widened at the sight of the small platform she was standing on. There was framework everywhere, stretching all the way up Death Mountain. The main section of the fortress was the only part of the giant building that was finished on the outside, with floors, stairs, windows and doors being the only real furnishings in the area. Everything else was nowhere near safe to walk in. Another bang. She followed the sound down the platform, climbing around a small boulder and ending up on another, more obstacle-ridden and inhabited platform.

Ken was on the far side of the platform, sitting on top of a rock and shooting a target behind him with a... thing. It looked like a crossbow, but it had a long, thin barrel instead of a bolt platform. She had never seen this thing before, and she began to wonder why Ken never showed it to her.

Inside the obstacle course of boulders, old pillows and broken wood planks, several villagers were sneaking around, holding similar "things", but they were just crossbows without the "bow" part and no bolts. They appeared to be moving around in a quiet, sneaky way, point at targets and pulling triggers that didn't release anything.

In another area, she witnessed other villagers climbing over a net before jumping from rock to rock. Some of them fell down, but the pillows were there to break their fall. They were quick, to be sure, but what they were doing was beyond Ilia.

_It almost looks like they're training for something._

Ken finally stopped shooting the target and slid down the rock he was sitting on. He shouted for everyone to stop, and everything went silent before he spoke.

"That's good for today. Tomorrow I'll get Barnes to help me build more of the rifles, so that we can begin real target practice. Remember, though, this is training, so I don't want to see any injuries. Our medics are busy enough as it is, what with the Princess' party being in intensive care and all."

The villagers acknowledged his words and began packing up their things. Ilia ducked behind a rock as villager after villager walked back towards the village. She waited until she made sure Ken was alone, then stepped out from behind the rock.

"Hi, Ken."

"Aah!" Ken jumped back, landing on his butt and dropping his bag. "What the hell are you doing here, Ilia? How did you find me?"

"Your... weapon is quite obnoxious. I wanted to find out what it was."

"Uh-huh." He stood up and picked up his bag. "You're just looking for me, huh?"

"OK, you caught me." She smiled and accepted his kiss. "What are you guys doing up here, anyway?"

"Umm... I really don't want anyone to know." Ken said nervously. He didn't want her specifically to know about the Revolution. It would both scare and endanger her.

"Come on, Ken." Ilia whined. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Hmm, then explain how the entire village knows about our relationship?" They entered the building and began the descent to the village.

"That was Talo. I caught the little rat talking to Beth and Colin about it the day after we had our first kiss. Apparently he was spying on us."

"Well, then I'll just have to thank him later." Ilia laughed.

"So, really, what is this whole thing about?" She asked him.

"OK..." Ken breathed in and out very slowly, then began his story. The riot, the plan, the training sessions, everything was out in a matter of minutes. Ilia listened, not interrupting at all, letting him speak until there was nothing left to be said. They had finally reached the front door of the fortress when he had finished. "Promise me you won't tell anyone. I'll do the talking."

"I promise."

"You also have to promise me that you'll stay out of this. I don't want you getting hurt. Your father would kill me if that happened."

"But why are you training me?"

"Look, since you know about the Revolution, you HAVE to join. But I have a different job for you. You will remain here with a small number of villagers and defend Kakariko while I take a task force out of the village and into the other villages of Hyrule. I want to create an army."

"An army?" Ilia was becoming more and more interested now. "Of villagers?"

"Armed with rifles, yes." Noticing the confused look on Ilia's face, he continued. "Rifles are kind of like crossbows, but they shoot lead balls instead of bolts. New era of war, you know."

"You know, I think you're going to make history with all these... rifles. You might get into the Hylian Army."

"Yeah, and teach 'em how to act more like men and less like little pussy cats." Both of them laughed as they entered the Inn. They continued to joke about the poor manner of the Hylian Army, forgetting that Princess Zelda was within earshot. She didn't seem to notice, though. She was so wrapped up in her work that she didn't even hear Ilia shut the door behind her.

"So," Ken said. "Nice room."

"Thanks. It's quite comfy."

"You should probably open the door, though. It feels a bit stuffy in here."

"Does it?"

Ken turned around, watching as his girlfriend walked up to him and planted a kiss on his lips. They kissed each other for a little bit, then Ken allowed Ilia to push him down onto the bed.

* * *

It was early evening when Ken left the Inn. No one noticed him enter or leave, so he was safe to believe that no one would find out what had just happened. He entered his house just across the street, taking off his boots and climbing up to his room. He had just laid down to think when his mother came in.

"And just where have you been, mister?" She said. "You missed dinner."

"I was training."

"Training for what?"

"Nothing important. Just honing my skills in case some monsters enter the village." He was lying, but he was an excellent liar.

"Right. Well, Bo came over. Wanted to know if we knew where Ilia was. Apparently she missed dinner too."

"Oh, she was with me. I was just showing her some parkour techniques. Me and some friends built an obstacle course, so I wanted to show her what it looked like."

"Alright. Well, I've kept your dinner warm over the fire. You might want to come and eat."

She left the room, and Ken breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't know what really happened, which was good. No one would know about the training or the sex. At least, not yet for the training. He got off his bed and went down into the kitchen to eat.

* * *

"So," Bo said. "What did you do all day?"

"Oh," Ilia replied. She had to be careful about what she said. "Ken was just showing me some weapon techniques up at this obstacle course he made. He says I'm progressing quickly."

"Well that's all good. Were you there all day?"

"No, we went up Death Mountain after." It was somewhat true, since the obstacle course was on the Death Mountain trail. "Watched the Gorons beat each other up for a little while. No one knew we were even there."

"Sneaky." Suddenly, his nose twitched. He could smell something funny, almost... like sex. Ilia watched as her father sniffed around like a dog.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I smell something... strange. VERY strange. And I think I know exactly what it is and where it's coming from."

He instantly got up and went upstairs, trying to find where the sex was coming from. Ilia froze. If her father found out about what she and Ken really did, she was in trouble. Bo eventually came down and sat, quite content about his search.

"Well?" Ilia asked nervously. She tried hard to hide her tone, but it was easier said than done.

"Oh, that couple that was married a year ago is at it again. The smell is smothering the hallways. Who knew how strong that stuff was?"

Ilia sighed relief. Her father hadn't found out, and she was lucky the other couple had unintentionally covered for her. Now if only she could say the same about the Revolution.

* * *

A long ways away, far to the east, Link finally found himself in front of the grand country of Narine. It was a kingdom on water, literally. Houses, churches, and even the palace sat on great platforms that were held up by long walls of brick. He smiled. The next Shard and Sage were both here somewhere. He just had to find them.

Silently, he prayed to the goddesses that Zelda was safe, then cracked the reins and continued towards the front gates of the city, which, strangely, was not covered in Twilight.

_It must be because of the Shard._

Link couldn't stop now. He needed this Shard in order to find the Ultimate Power and awaken the Triforce Guardian. The Twilight would just have to wait.

* * *

_**Well, you're probably sick of Ken and Ilia now. But Link is back, and the next chapter is going to be entirely in Narine. So stay tuned, and keep reviewing! **_


	18. Chapter 17: Narine

The city was much bigger than Link thought. The houses were big and plenty, the shops in the same way. There were no roads, so he had to rent a stable for his horse and wagon. He grabbed whatever he needed from the wagon, then walked a short ways down to a large Inn. Unlike Fire City Inn, this one was packed full of people. There was no library - that was further down the street - but there was a big, deep pool, which was practically empty. It wasn't unusual to Link, though, since it was late at night and full of drunk men and whores, not something Link was accustomed to seeing. He quickly checked in and walked up to his room on the third floor.

He was tired. He barely had enough strength from the day to stay awake, which became a struggle as he stripped off his tunic and climbed into bed in just his pants. He was asleep in mere seconds, but it felt like minutes to him.

* * *

Link found himself in a massive ghost town, wearing nothing but his Ordonian farm clothes. It felt good to be back in them, but it didn't feel all that realistic. He was in a strange place, far from any other country in the world. He walked forward, taking in the scenery before him: Broken down houses, a half-destroyed castle, and a small sign that said: "Alkor: A Wasteland To The Rich, A Haven To The Poor And Rejected". What a strange place.

"Link?"

Link whirled around to face Zelda, whom he had no idea was with him until just now.

"Zelda?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Link, it's time." She closed her eyes and raised her left hand. The Triforce of Wisdom glowed, lighting up the area with its' brilliance. Link remembered exactly what she was doing, and prepared to receive the gift. The Triforce of Wisdom encircled him, surrounding him in light and bathing him in power before entering his body. He blacked out for a second, then looked around once his vision returned. Zelda was gone. It was all a dream. Or was it?

* * *

He woke up in a cold sweat, shouting Zelda's name before he was even mentally conscious. The first thing he did was look at his right hand. There it was: The Triforce of Wisdom glowing next to the Triforce of Courage. He knew, at that moment, that Zelda safely made it to Kakariko, and that her body and spirit were now trapped inside the Sacred Realm. He also knew that Rusl, Auru, Ashei, Shad and Telma were alive and well, even if they were still a bit weak from a week's journey back into Hyrule.

Too awake to go back to sleep, he got dressed in his Zora's Armor and snuck his way downstairs. There was still a party going on, but it was less noisy than earlier. Link was only asleep for a couple of hours.

He made his way through the crowd, careful to avoid the scantily dressed - and sometimes naked - whores that threatened to seduce him. He managed to get through without being noticed, and closed himself inside the pool room.

He sank down to the bottom of the pool, having been weighted down by his iron boots. The pool itself was around 20 feet deep, and there was no one in it except him. Good, I can meditate in peace.

He sat down and closed his eyes, concentrating on his dream. Suddenly, he found himself back in Alkor. But this was a whole different vision.

The army he saw before him was larger than the Hylian Army. MUCH larger. Thousands of black-armored men and women marched through the streets, heading northeast towards their destination. But where was it?

Link was instantly warped to a much brighter location. The army was still moving, and Link could just make out the ring of smoke around a familiar mountain.

_No. It can't be an invasion. Damn you, Kyrus!_

He watched as the surroundings about him changed. Hyrule Field was now littered in bodies, both Hylian and Alkorian, and a great battle was going on. Link wanted desperately to join the fray, to fight the Alkorians and beat them down, but it was only a vision. A vision of what? The present? Future? Zelda would be dead if it was a vision of the past. Unless...

Before he could scream out, his lungs were suddenly filled with water, and he was forced out of his vision. He took off his iron boots and swam to the surface, gasping and choking on the water. He looked at his mask, finding it ripped. He pulled out a small bit of fabric from his mouth and realized he had bitten through the mask.

His eyes welled up with tears at the thought that Zelda might be dead. And then he remembered the words she spoke to him before they separated: _"I can't split my Triforce unless I die before I have a child."_ Zelda had deliver the Triforce of Wisdom to him as a whole, and instantly he felt better. Zelda was alive, but in a coma inside the Sacred Realm.

_I wonder how the village is coping with it._

* * *

Narine was beautiful. There were citizens from several different countries, all except Alkor and Corea. Everyone was dressed in different clothes, all different colors and sizes. The water channels were clean, with brightly colored fish swimming through them. One main channel, which started from the gates, led straight towards the Palace of Narine. Link wondered what kind of fish swam there.

He wandered throughout the city, getting comfortable with his surroundings and searching for any sign of the Black Mesa or a Triforce Shard at the same time. There were churches everywhere in the city, which made it hard to actually get to the Palace without checking them. Link suspected the Shard would be in the Palace, but a church was a much holier, more appropriate place for the Shard. Link was shocked that the Shard in Corea was UNDERNEATH its Palace, instead of in a church or a Temple like in Mareden, Hyrule, or possibly here. It was simply shameful for him, since the Triforce itself was native to his home country of Hyrule.

After stopping at several churches, Link took a break from his search and went to a blacksmith shop across the street from a "Church of Din". He was amazed at the number of weapons and armor that hung inside the shop. He found swords, shields, armor with engraved markings in a strange language, and smaller blades like daggers, throwing knives, and... them.

They were blades of the finest steel. Fully retractable, too. There were straps that connected the base (There were no hilts on either of them) to the arm, and the mechanisms of these beautiful blades were so intricate, it boggled Link's mind to think that they really existed. But they did, and they looked dangerous.

"Those are the most expensive blades in the shop, young man." A voice said behind him. He turned to face an old, bearded man standing behind a counter. The man continued. "You got enough for those?"

"Depends on what currency you have. I'm a traveler not from here."

"Well, I normally take the paper stuff that comes in every day, but on a rare occasion I'm presented with some assortment of colorful gems that I just can't resist. What are they, roodees or something?"

"Rupees." Link replied. "Hylian currency."

"Gotcha. Yeah, you definitely look Hylian. I'm guessing you've got a bunch of those shiny rocks, eh?"

"Yes. How much for the blades?"

"Well, in terms of Rupees, I'd say about 800 of 'em will do nicely. Don't worry, I know which ones are worth different amounts."

Link grimaced at the price. Fortunately, he had exactly 1000 Rupees in his wallet. Clearly, though, most of it was going to be gone soon. But he didn't need to worry about money that much. He rarely bought anything, period. He handed over the gems and asked how the blades worked.

"Well, you have to strap it on your arm first." The old man said. Link did as he was told, strapping the blades to either arm. "Now what?" He asked.

"Thrust your arm forward lightly. Keep your hands out of the way, though." Once again, Link did as he was told, and smiled as the blades popped out of their sheathes. He did the exact opposite action to put the blades away, thanked the man, and left.

* * *

Link returned to his room, completely exhausted after a long day of searching. He hadn't found anything strange or unusual, which wasn't good in terms of the Black Mesa or the Triforce Shard. But it would have to do for now. At least he had some new weapons.

He smiled at the thought of having these wickedly dangerous at his side. If he ever ran into a monster, he could easily kill it with the blades, instead of having to use his sword. Fighting was going to be a lot more fun.

He played around with the blades, getting a feel for how they worked and how they felt as he swung them around, trying different maneuvers and techniques. It was hard to do in his room, but he decided it best to learn in a tight space, in case he had to fight in that kind of situation.

After hours of practice, Link sheathed his blades and went downstairs to the lobby. There were no drunkards or whores anywhere, so it was safe to head into the kitchens for dinner. The food was free, so Link loaded up on whatever he could find and sat down. As he ate, however, he felt a presence behind him.

"Enjoying your meal, Hero?"

Link turned around to face a girl in a dark blue tunic, black leggings, and boots. She dressed somewhat like him, minus the sword and shield on her back. Instead, she carried a long, thin blade around her waist, and she had knives on her belt and her boots. Link had no other weapons except his hidden blades, so he looked quite pathetic compared to this girl. He responded.

"Yes, I am. Can I help you?"

"Pay attention, or pay with your life." She said. Link swallowed hard. "I am a member of the Black Mesa. My name is Lorielle." Link extended one of his blades, ready to kill her if needed. "Oh, don't worry." Lorielle laughed. "I'm not going to try anything unless you don't cooperate. Now listen, I'm not like the other members of the Mesa." Link extended the other blade. Lorielle ignored him and continued. "I am working with the Mesa against my will. I am the Sage of Narine."

"You're a damned liar." Link said.

"Don't make this difficult, Link." Lorielle said. "I'm being serious. I am a Sage working for the Mesa against my will, yet working against them at the same time. Does that make any sense to you?"

"Not really, no." Link lied. It did make sense. But how could he trust this girl?

_Because I feel no danger._

He retracted his blades back into their sheathes, which made Lorielle smile. "Isn't that better?" She said. "No need for violence. So do you believe me or not?"

"I believe you, but I don't quite trust you."

"Good, that's all I need." Lorielle sat down, and Link prepared for a long discussion with the Black Mesa Sage.

* * *

**_So, I understand that you'll all be wondering why the heck Link now has hidden blades. Well, I've kind of gotten into Assassin's Creed lately, and I thought the hidden blades would be cool. Don't hate me, but I'm keeping the blades, sorry :P_**


End file.
